Dr. Richard Snellgrove of Fairhope, Alabama has been indicted for contributing to the death of Matt Roberts, guitarist of 3 Doors Down. Snellgrove is accused of illegally prescribing Fentanyl, a very strong opioid medication, to the musician which contributed to his deadly overdose.
Matt Roberts was visiting Wisconsin for a charity concert when he was found dead in the hallway of his hotel. At the time he was wearing a Fentanyl patch and he had matching pills, both in which Dr. Richard Snellgrove prescribed two days earlier.
In records seized by agents, Snellgrove illegally prescribed Methadone and Fentanyl six times since 2011. Fentanyl is one of the same drugs that took the life of Prince earlier this year.
Dr. Richard Snellgrove was actually indicted on six counts in October, but the records were sealed and were not made public until they were unsealed by a judge last week.
Snellgrove’s attorney released a statement saying that “If medication played a role in Mr. Roberts’ deat it was because of improper use, not anything that was attributed to anything Dr. Snellgrove did. Dr. Snellgrove is a well-respected physician with an impeccable reputation. This case centers around one patient. Dr. Snellgrove treated Mr. Roberts ethically and professionally.”
The father of Matt Roberts disagrees. He told the DEA that Dr. Richard Snellgrove was a “celebrity junkie”. He even had a nickname for the doctor calling him “Snelly”. He was basically friends with the physician and often had after-hours appointments with him and had been seeing the doctor since 2004.
The 3 Doors Down musician was 38 at the time of his death and had fought substance abuse in the past according to USA Today. He left the band in which he was credited for founding and in writing hit songs in 2012 for health issues dealing with blood circulation in his body.
Matt’s dad told TMZ that on the night of his tragic passing his son had rehearsal until 1 AM, they then returned to their hotel in which they had adjoining rooms. Around 9 AM, he was woken up by detectives who informed him that Matt had passed away overnight. He knew that prescription pills were involved but he believes that the overdose was accidental.
Do you think that Dr. Snellgrove should serve time for an overdose of one of his patients? Let us know your opinion in the comment section below. And, don’t forget to check CDL for more news and updates.
#ripmattroberts #rockmusic So sad to hear one of my favorite guitarists is gone. RIP Matt Roberts, guitarist and co-founder of 3 Doors Down.
— Rob Ambrosino (@robambrosino) September 1, 2016
An old poem. – @Brad3DD pic.twitter.com/9WLSZ9Pdtn
— 3 DOORS DOWN (@3doorsdown) April 27, 2016
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