Man Charged with Murder in Overdose Case

A Tampa man has been charged with murder in connection to the death of a 69-year-old woman who lived in Seffner, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced Sept 20.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies found Mary Baker, a quadriplegic, lying on her back in her bedroom at 11213 Hobart Court in Seffner at 1:32 p.m. on Jan. 27.  Deputies and paramedics examined and treated the 69-year-old woman, but she was pronounced dead at 2:03 p.m.

Timothy Harrison, 64, was at the house when authorities arrived. Authorities say he was Baker’s boyfriend and also administered her medication and acted as a caretaker. 

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office conducted an autopsy Jan. 28, but the cause and manner of death were pending were pending as it awaited the resulted the result of toxicology tests.

When the test came back, they revealed Baker had “extremely high levels of the drugs "Fluoxetine" and "Bupropion" in her system,” according to the e-mail. 

The Medical Examiner's Office then determined Baker died from prescription pill overdose.

Deputies say that while Harrison was responsible for feeding ad medicating Baker between Jan. 24 and Jan. 27,  he gave her lethal doses of pills.

Harrison, of 8419 El Portal Drive, Tampa, was charged with murder and aggravated abuse of a disabled adult.