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SKOWHEGAN

Police probe overdose death of man, 28

Ray Reny died early Saturday morning

By Doug Harlow dharlow@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

SKOWHEGAN -- Police say a 28-year-old Skowhegan man died early Saturday of a drug overdose, but the investigation surrounding the death remains under investigation.

Ray Reny, who lived in an apartment at 60 North Ave., across from Beverage Mart, was found unresponsive when an ambulance arrived on scene just before 1:30 a.m. Saturday.

Emergency personnel, along with five Skowhegan police officers, including Police Chief Michael Emmons and Detective Daniel Summers, arrived soon after, according to a transcript of radio transmission from the Somerset County Communications Center.

Reny was confirmed dead at the scene.

Detectives from the state police criminal division also were called to the scene.

"It turned out to be a drug overdose; he died as a result of a drug overdose," Emmons said this week. "The autopsy already's been done."

Emmons and Summers said toxicology results from the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta are not ready, so the actual substance that caused Reny's death is not known.

Jodi Lyn Olson, who was with Reny in the apartment when police arrived, was arrested about 7 a.m. Saturday on a probation hold. She remained held without bail Wednesday at the Somerset County Jail in East Madison, according to an intake officer.

Olson, 35, was sentenced in 1997 to eight years in the state prison, with all but four years suspended for her role as an accomplice in the robbery and stabbing of a Canadian tourist in Canaan three years earlier. She served 22 months.

Emmons said Reny's death was considered suspicious initially, but the subsequent investigation and autopsy results indicated it was a drug overdose.

"We haven't got the toxicology report back from the Medical Examiner's office," Summers said. "There is no indication it was a homicide, according to the autopsy report; there was no blunt trauma to indicate a homicide. Right now it looks like it's going to be geared toward an overdose of medications."

Summers said there are several more people to be interviewed in the case.

Doug Harlow -- 474-9534

dharlow@centralmaine.com