Two alleged drug deals outside a Butler funeral home led to the overdose death of a 27-year-old Butler woman last year, authorities said.

“Ride or Die” was written on at least one of the glassine bags of drugs purchased during one of the suspected deals.

Lab results would later determine that Ashley M. McKissick died in November of a combination of fentanyl and cocaine, according to the Butler County Coroner's Office.

On Friday, the state attorney's office and Butler police charged Thomas A. Purcell, 27, of Butler with selling the drugs that killed McKissick.

District Judge Bill O'Donnell arraigned Purcell on felony charges of drug delivery resulting in death, two counts each of delivery of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance, and criminal use of a communication facility.

Additionally, Purcell is charged with two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance. Bond was set at $200,000.

Purcell has been in the Butler County Prison since Thursday on a probation violation.

McKissick's mother told Butler police her daughter was asleep in her bed when she left their East Brady Street home to go to work the morning of Nov. 13, authorities said, but when she returned, she found her daughter unresponsive on the couch and called 911 around 8 p.m.

McKissick was subsequently pronounced dead.

Police at the scene found an empty stamp bag marked “Ride or Die” and other contraband, including a syringe, straws with residue and a burnt soda can, according to investigators. The empty bag was sent to the state police crime lab for analysis. Results are pending.

Earlier this month, state narcotics agent Douglas Brink conducted a search of McKissick's Facebook Messenger account and recovered previous messages between her and Purcell.

Brink, in his affidavit, details those messages. Beginning at 8 p.m. Nov. 12, Brink said Purcell advises, “I'm around someone who got both and it's fire.”

The agent alleged that meant Purcell had access to heroin and crack cocaine, and that the drugs were very good quality.

“If I can get my hands on some cash, I'll let you know,” McKissick responds.

At 8:53 p.m., she messages, “Hey, where you at?” Purcell allegedly tells her he's near a store in downtown Butler and asked her what she needs.

“$30 worth ... not hard though, I need dope,” she replies.

Brink said that meant McKissick wanted heroin, not crack.

Purcell eventually agreed to meet with her outside a funeral home in the city, investigators said. He told her to come alone.

Authorities believe the defendant sold her four stamp bags of drugs.

During their investigation, Brink and Butler police Detective Eric Klopfer spoke to a friend of McKissick's who was with her the night she arranged the alleged deal with “Tommy.”

The friend recounted McKissick used some of the drugs, investigators said, and later messaged “Tommy” again, this time wanting crack cocaine.

At 9:16 p.m., according to Brink's affidavit, Purcell and McKissick agreed to meet again outside the same funeral home. He allegedly again told McKissick to come alone. The suspected deal was for $40 worth of crack.

A review of other communications McKissick had on Nov. 12 or 13, according to Brink's affidavit, did not reveal any additional completed drug transactions.

At 8:47 a.m. Nov. 13, the affidavit noted, Purcell sent McKissick a message: “I'm still good on both.” At 12:22 p.m. that same day, he allegedly sent her another message, “If you need anything I'm around.”

McKissick did not reply. By at least the time of the second message, authorities believe she was dead.

An autopsy determined McKissick died of a “combined drug toxicity of fentanyl and cocaine,” court documents said.

At an interview with Brink and Klopfer last week, Purcell admitted he had known McKissick for about a year before her death, documents said. He also allegedly acknowledged that on occasion the two of them had gotten high together on crack or heroin.

Additionally, he allegedly told investigators they communicated occasionally via Facebook messenger as they were Facebook “friends.”

However, according charging documents, before ending the interview, “Purcell denied seeing or communicating with McKissick on Nov. 12 or 13 of 2018.”