3 Convicted of Manslaughter in Rape-Drug Death

One of the nation’s first trials involving a death linked to the date-rape drug ended Tuesday with the convictions of three young men accused of spiking a 15-year-old girl’s soft drink.

Joshua Cole, 19, Daniel Brayman, 18, and Nicholas Holtschlag, 18, were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and lesser poisoning charges.

A fourth defendant, Erick Limmer, 26, was convicted of one count each of being an accessory to manslaughter, poisoning, delivery of marijuana and possession of the date-rape drug GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate. Earlier this month, the judge threw out a manslaughter count against Limmer.

“This can kill you. It’s a highly dangerous substance, and [users] are risking a lot,” assistant prosecutor Doug Baker said.

Cole, who struggled with his composure, broke down and sobbed as members of his jury were polled to verify their verdict.

Prosecutors said the men gave Reid a soda laced with GHB during a party at Limmer’s Grosse Ile apartment. She died the next day.

Samantha’s friend, Melanie Sindone, now 16, ingested the drug through her vodka-and-orange juice drink. Both women vomited and lost consciousness after sipping the drinks. Samantha was not sexually assaulted.

Prosecutors said the men cleaned the apartment before driving the girls to a hospital. Sindone lapsed into a coma but recovered.

The manslaughter convictions carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. The penalty for the poisoning conviction is up to five years.