FARMINGTON — A Wilton man facing charges related to his late girlfriend’s drug overdose death had his bail lowered Friday for the second time in Franklin County Superior Court.

Roy Gordon, 42, is one of five people charged in connection with the November death of Marilyn Rider, 52, who died of a morphine overdose in her Silver Maple Lane home.

Gordon’s bail was amended by Justice Michaela Murphy to $10,000 cash or real estate plus a pre-trial contract that includes being subject to search.

Gordon’s bail was originally set at $75,000. The day after his arrest, Judge Nancy Carlson set bail at $20,000 cash.

Assistant District Attorney James Andrews said Gordon has an extensive list of prior convictions dating back over 20 years including assault, criminal trespass and trafficking of scheduled drugs.

Attorney Walter Hanstein, who is representing Gordon, said the charge of aggravated trafficking of drugs that caused the death of another person is too strong of a charge against his client.

He said “while I don’t mean to make a big speech on the war on drugs,” the only alleged crime is a man using drugs for recreation with his girlfriend, and one had a worse reaction than the other.

Gordon is charged with aggravated trafficking of drugs that caused the death of another person, which is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.

He also faces three counts of unlawful furnishing of schedule W drugs and a possible penalty of up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines on each charge, and one count of falsifying physical evidence and a possible 364 days in jail and $2,000 in fines.

According to court documents, Rider’s neighbors reported hearing Roy Gordon yelling for Rider to wake up the morning of her death on Nov. 11. He reportedly called his mother who called 911 after arriving at Rider’s apartment.

Gordon and another man, Erick Barnes, are accused of putting several needles in a box and removing them before emergency responders came to the apartment.

Rider allegedly injected morphine the day before during a birthday party for Roy Gordon at his parents’ house in Wilton. Roy Gordon said Rider gave herself the injection at the party while Roy Gordon’s son, Seth Gordon, said his father prepared the doses and he, Seth, gave Rider the first injection.

Rider’s 11-year-old son who was at the party reportedly became upset because he also noticed she was unable to stand up or speak coherently.

Kaitlin Schroeder — 861-9252
kschroeder@mainetoday.com