Patricia Ann Taylor A Browerville woman faces murder charges in connection with the Feb. 12 death of 27-year-old Jason Ramsdell of Ripley Township.

Patricia Ann Taylor, 56, was arrested April 14; and formally charged with 3rd degree murder two days later, reports Morrrison County Sheriff Michel Wetzel. She is currently in custody in the Morrison County Jail.

After a lengthy investigation by Morrison and Todd County deputies, police officers from Little Falls and Long Prairie; and agents of the Central MN Drug & Gang Task Force, it was discovered that Taylor illegally sold her prescription Fentanyl patches to Ramsdell in Todd County Feb. 12.

Later that day, Ramsdell was found dead at his Ripley Township home. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner determined that Ramsdell died of a lethal dose of Fentanyl.

“Right now, the illegal sale exchange or barter of prescription drugs is one of, if not the, biggest problems we are seeing in drug enforcement,” stated Wetzel. It’s a difficult one to address as well, he added. Prescription

pain medications like Fentanyl, Morphine, Vicodin, Percocet and Oxycontin are easy to acquire by simply lying about pain to a doctor. The drugs are then resold on the street for up to $100 per dose. “Easy access, low price for acquisition and extremely high profit margin, make it a difficult problem for law enforcement to fix,” Wetzel said.

Wetzel and his officers

want illegal prescription

drug sellers to take notice. “We are aware of this issue

and will put you in jail when we catch you,” he said.