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Police: Drugs, Alcohol May Have Been Involved In Verplanck Woman's Death

PUTNAM COUNTY, N.Y. – Prescription drugs and alcohol may have played a role in the death of a Westchester County woman who was found dead in a Putnam County motel, according to Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith.

The Countryside Motel is on Route 9 in Cold Spring, where a woman's \body was found.

The Countryside Motel is on Route 9 in Cold Spring, where a woman's \body was found.

Photo Credit: Google Maps

Michele L. Van Tassel, 45, of Verplanck, was found dead in a room at the Countryside Motel on Route 9 in Cold Spring in the Town of Philipstown about 8:55 A.M. on Sept. 18, 2014, after Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call reporting an unconscious and unresponsive person there, police said. Authorities found bottles of prescription pain medication and partially consumed bottles of liquor at the scene.

An autopsy performed on Thursday, Sept. 18, revealed no signs of trauma or any other indications of foul play, police said.

The Coroner’s Office has not yet rendered a conclusion on the cause of death, but has ordered toxicology tests to determine drug and alcohol levels in the woman’s body.

A laboratory report of those tests could take four to six weeks for completion.

 

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