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Woman charged in daughter's OD death

Defendant alleged to have bought, delivered drugs

This was updated July 8 to reflect that clonazepam is a benzodiazepine. It was incorrectly identified as a benzedrine in a previous story. A Butler woman has been charged with hand-delivering the drugs that killed her daughter.Butler City Police filed charges Tuesday against Nichole M. Saeler, 47, which include one felony count of drug delivery resulting in death as well as another felony count of criminal use of a communication facility.Police said Saeler, who is free on an unsecured bond, bought and gave drugs to her daughter, Skylor R. Saeler, who died April 16 at age 22.According to the autopsy report, the cause of Skylor Saeler's death was an overdose of fentanyl and clonazepam.Charging documents state Skylor Saeler's body was found by her sister, and the death was reported to police.In Skylor Saeler's obituary, which appeared in the April 19 edition of the Butler Eagle, it was noted that she was a Butler High School graduate who wanted to focus on helping people by pursuing a career in the medical field.“She had the rare gift of lighting up a room with love and laughter and making people around her feel better,” the obituary noted.Police said when searching the apartment, they found six empty stamp bags. They also found Skylor Saeler's cellphone, for which they later received a search warrant.“Officers viewed the messages between Skylor and Nichole on April 16,” said the investigating officer in the affidavit. “Nichole says multiple times about her trying to get some for Skylor.”Police said the messages included jargon commonly used in drug deals. Nichole Saeler then told her daughter to meet her at the laundromat on North Monroe Street. Police said there is a 10-minute gap between messages.According to police, officers later pulled video footage that shows Skylor Saeler approach her mother's vehicle and receive something she quickly puts inside her sweater. Police said they also found video footage near Skylor's home.Police said the texts between the mother and daughter then resumed.“Nichole then says to Skylor, 'Be careful on these,' followed by '2 of them knocked the mom out she remember anything don't mix them bennies and these,'” police said. “Skylor then says to Nichole, 'I have Narcan just in case,' to which Nichole replies, 'K that doesn't always work.'”According to the Associated Press, a “benny” is a slang term for benzodiazepine, which can come in multiple forms such as clonazepam.A preliminary hearing for Nichole Saeler has been scheduled for Aug. 2 before District Judge William Fullerton, just one day before she is scheduled to appear before County Judge William Shaffer for a formal arraignment on a different set of charges.According to court documents, Saeler has been charged with felony endangerment of a dependent and misdemeanor unauthorized use of a vehicle, stemming from a Feb. 24 incident.

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