Codeine Cocktail Killed 14-Year-Old Girl
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A new kind of cocktail is now blamed for the death of a 14-year-old girl.
Pauviera Linson, or Pauvi, as her family and friends called her, was at a party when she was given a drink of Sprite mixed with Codeine.
"And the guy started pouring the Codeine with Sprite," said her cousin, Gerlaya Phillips, who was with Pauvi at the Burnsville residence. "I didn't think anything of it."
Codeine is a strong drug often found in cough syrup. It's considered a pain reliever and a narcotic when taken as a tablet.
The drink itself goes by several names, including lean, purple drink and dirty Sprite. Federal agents say that the misuse of prescription syrups has become a huge trend the last several years.
Pauvi got sick instantly after taking the drink.
"She was not herself," Gerlaya said. "She was moving slow. Her eyes were very low. All she wanted to do was sleep and wake up the next morning."
Pauvi's friend also took the drink and ended up going to the hospital for two days. She's now out of a Twin Cities hospital.
Pauvi got home Sunday night and fell asleep, only to never wake back up.
"I never thought, in a million years, to wake up and my cousin would be gone," Gerlaya said.
Robert Kibble, 25, and 19-year-old Jacob Sawyer are in Ramsey County jail facing possible murder charges. St. Paul Police say it's unclear if these men knew the ages of the girls.
"I know these people," said Pauvi's uncle, Gerald Phillips. "Their intentions were to do something different to her. And that's what I strongly believe."
Pauvi was set to start her sophomore year of high school this year.
"I hope this is a lesson learned to all teenagers -- don't let anyone pressure you into doing something you don't want to do," Gerlaya said.
Pauvi wanted to be a lawyer someday. Gerlaya plans to fulfill Pauvi's dream for her, becoming a lawyer when she grows up.
