The UNM student who was found dead Oct. 4, in his SRC dorm room, died from an overdose of morphine, according to a state medical investigator's report.
Frank Baca, 47, died from an overdose of morphine, according to a toxicology screen report released last week by the Office of the Medical Investigator.
However, UNM police say they are investigating his death as an accidental overdose of heroin.
"What we found at the scene was a syringe and spoon containing heroin," said UNM Police Department Cmdr. James Daniels.
In addition to the morphine, the report indicated Baca also had varying levels of Elavil, an anti-anxiety sedative sometimes used to treat depression, a hydrocodon and Tylenol mix which is the generic form of Vicodin, benzodiazepine, a sedative, and nortriptyline, an antidepressant used to treat a variety of ailments. The report also states that Baca had a blood alcohol content level of .066 percent at the time of his death.
According to an affidavit for a search warrant, filed by UNM police Oct. 4, in Bernalillo County Metropolitan District Court, 18 items were taken into evidence from Baca's Student Residence Center dorm room, including a syringe, several prescription bottles, 10 tablets of Elavil, other prescription drugs and various pieces of drug paraphenalia.
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"We will look into several issues at this point," Daniels said. He added that Baca's death is currently under investigation by his department and that with the autopsy report and toxicology screens in hand, detectives are ready to continue pursuing the case.
Oct. 4, 2002
Baca, who moved into his Student Residence Center apartment about two weeks before his death, was found by a University custodian who regularly cleans apartment bathrooms.
According to the affidavit, the custodian entered Baca's first-floor apartment at about 9:20 a.m. and found him unconscious on the floor. She contacted an SRC administrative assistant who was asked to have a look.
According to the affidavit, the assistant told police that Baca was on the floor, slumped over to his side. The affidavit also states that one of the rescue personnel who arrived with University police noticed a syringe on the floor of the room.
Police sealed off the dorm room and the area around it that morning, and only allowed students who lived in the area near the building.
The OMI autopsy report states that Baca had last been seen Oct. 2, and that the condition his body was found in coincides with that timeline.
Police applied for, and were granted, a search warrant, signed by District Judge James Blackmen, to obtain any evidence found at the scene.
"I knew there was a warrant issued for that room," said Randy Boeglin, dean of students and director of residence life.
Both Boeglin and Daniels said that they could not recall any other instances of a student dying in a dorm room after overdosing on prescription or illicit drugs.
UNM Registrar Kathleen Sena confirmed that Baca was a student at UNM at the time of his death and that it was his first semester at the University.
UNM police said that Baca was on probation at the time of his death, but the agency managing his probation and what he was on probation for is not clear.
Each student applying for housing with the University is required to answer a question asking if the applicant has ever committed a felony.
Boeglin could not comment on Baca's response to the question, but he did say that he had personally spoken to Baca about his application for an apartment.
OMI
Officially, the cause of death for Baca is an accidental overdose of morphine, and Tim Stepetic, spokesman for the Office of the Medical Investigator, said that the other drugs in his system did not contribute to his death.
The amount of morphine found in Baca's system, 0.10 milligrams per liter of blood, can be lethal.
Baca's death is listed as an accidental overdose instead of a suicide because friends and family did not suspect such and because evidence at the scene indicates an accidental overdose.
According to the autopsy report, no injuries were caused by an injection made by a needle, but OMI officials said that an injection mark may have been obscured by the level decomposition present at the time Baca's body was found.
The toxicology report released by the state last week indicates that tests for both morphine and opiates, which are separate tests, were both positive. OMI investigators were not available for a clarification on the difference between the two substances.
Police investigation
Daniels said detectives are pursuing the case, and are investigating evidence found at the scene, as well as a number of other factors, noting that UNM has a zero-tolerance policy for illegally obtained prescription drugs.
He added that investigators have found that each of the prescription drugs found at the scene had been prescribed to Baca -- but he could not say where each prescription came from.
