Report: Ex-Angels Employee Eric Kay Indicted in Overdose Death of Pitcher Tyler Skaggs

A federal grand jury in Texas has reportedly indicted former Angels employee Eric Kay on two counts in the overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports

A Texas federal grand jury has indicted former Angels employee Eric Kay on two counts in the overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The indictment, which was filed on Friday morning in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, charged Kay with distributing the fentanyl that caused Skaggs's death in 2019, reports the L.A. Times.

"On or about June 30, 2019 … Eric Prescott Kay, the defendant, did knowingly and intentionally distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and the use of said substance resulted in the death and serious bodily injury of [Skaggs]," the indictment said.

Kay, who worked for the Angels' media relations department for 24 years, was arrested and charged with distributing fentanyl in early August.

Skaggs, 27, was found dead in his Southlake, Texas, hotel room on July 1, 2019, just hours before the Angels were set to play the Rangers. A toxicology report revealed he had fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol in his system. While under the influence of the three substances, Skaggs choked on his vomit and died. The Tarrant County medical examiner's office listed his cause of death as a mixture of "alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents."

In an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint against Kay, it revealed that Skaggs and Kay exchanged text messages on June 30, when the lefthander asked Kay to come to his room and bring pills.

"It was later determined that but for the fentanyl in [Skaggs's] system, [Skaggs] would not have died," the criminal complaint stated.

The affidavit also alleged that Kay provided opioids to Skaggs and other members of the organization.

The Angels selected Skaggs with the 40th pick in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft. He went 28–38 with a 4.41 ERA in seven major league seasons.