Appellate Court affirms DuPage drug homicide conviction

The Second District Appellate Court has affirmed the drug homicide conviction of a former Summit woman for her role in the 2014 death of 31-year-old Augustina Taylor of Wheaton.

Jennifer Nere, 37, was found guilty after a four-day trial in August 2014 in DuPage County of one count of drug-induced homicide for supplying Taylor with what proved to be a fatal dose of heroin. She was sentenced in October of that year to nine years in prison.

Authorities said Nere went to Taylor's house in June 2012 to deliver the heroin and then left the premises. Taylor ingested the heroin inside her bathroom and her son discovered her body on the bathroom floor a short time later. An investigation confirmed that she died of a heroin overdose.

In her appeal, Nere argued that the trial court erred in giving several improper jury instructions while refusing other instructions. Nere also argued she was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Appellate Court disagreed, stating in its opinion regarding jury instructions that "her argument lacks any legal basis" and that Nere "forfeited her claim by relying on a summary assertion without citing pertinent authority."

Regarding Nere's claim that she was not proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, the Appellate Court said "Taylor's request for heroin on the day of her death meant that she was out of heroin at the time" and that "the jury's verdict was supported by proof beyond a reasonable doubt."

"Slightly more than five years ago, Augustina Taylor died from a heroin overdose," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a written statement. "We proved in court, and the Appellate Court agrees, that Jennifer Nere supplied that fatal dose of heroin to Augustina Taylor.

"The judgment of the Appellate Court emphasizes the fact that if you supply a fatal dose of any drug you will be held responsible and will find yourself facing a significant amount of time behind bars."