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Aliquippa Police Chief: Sheldon Jeter Found Unconscious On Side Of Road Hours After '48 Hours' Special On Rachael DelTondo's Murder

/ CBS Pittsburgh

ALIQUIPPA (KDKA) -- A key figure in the investigation into the murder of Rachael DelTondo last year in Aliquippa was found unconscious over the weekend in Beaver County.

Aliquippa Police say 21-year-old Sheldon Jeter Jr. was found in the overnight hours of Sunday on Orchard Street at Sheffield Avenue, along the side of the road, not far from the home where he grew up.

KDKA's Meghan Schiller Reports:

 

Investigators say an anonymous 911 call came in around 4 a.m. Sunday saying a man was found unconscious after reportedly being thrown from a vehicle.

When police arrived, they say they found Jeter unresponsive with his eyes opened. Officers used Narcan to revive Jeter.

"The police responded and I think then appropriately saw him in that condition and hit him with Narcan," said Jeter's attorney Michael Santicola.

Once revived, police say he got up on his own and left the scene, reportedly yelling obscenities and making inappropriate gestures. He also left his cell phone, which he and his mother later retrieved from police.

Alquippa Police Chief Robert Sealock tells KDKA's Meghan Schiller that the department is investigating but treating the incident as a drug overdose.

Chief Sealock said there is no evidence of any foul play at this juncture and added that no witnesses have come forward.

There were reports of a blue pickup truck seen leaving the scene around the same time of the incident, as well as reports of a female found screaming on the corner. Chief Sealock says the department is working to confirm if the reports are in any way related to the incident involving Jeter.

More on Rachael DelTondo Murder Case:

Just six hours before this incident, CBS aired a "48 Hours" investigation, exploring Jeter as a person of interest in DelTondo's murder investigation. She was gunned a year ago on Mother's Day in the driveway of her parents' home.

In the special, Lisa DelTondo, Rachael's mother, told "48 Hours" that Jeter was "obsessed" and "in love" with her daughter.

Santicola tells KDKA his client has no recollection of any alleged overdose on Sunday morning, and he says Jeter got a drug test later that day and all the results turned up negative.

"Sheldon's not a drug user. He's never been a drug user," Santicola said.

Santicola said his client was out drinking with friends at Preeti's Pitt in the Strip District Saturday night. It's unclear how he made it back to Aliquippa, but doesn't suspect there was any foul play.

As far as the blue pickup truck spotted by the caller, it's still unclear if it was involved in this case.

"Sheldon doesn't recall that. He doesn't have memory of that encounter but obviously somebody does," Santicola said.

He said Jeter didn't know about the incident on the corner of Orchard and Sheffield Avenue until later that day when detectives contacted him.

While Aliquippa police said the department is investigating the incident, they are treating it as a drug overdose.

He doesn't believe Jeter reacted to the 48 Hours special that aired on CBS about DelTondo.

"There was no adverse reaction to that story. It didn't freak him out. He's been living this thing for over a year. An hour story isn't going to throw him over the edge," said Santicola.

© 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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