Questions arise about drugs found in Carter's blood

After breaking for lunch, testimony in the murder and drug trial of Noel Chua continued at 1 p.m. The crowd in the courtroom was evenly split among supporters for the defense and the prosecution.

The afternoon's first witness was a Ed Varvieri, a forensic toxicologist with NMS Labs in Pennsylvania. Vavieri testified he analyzed blood sample results from Jamie Carter III after his death in December 2005.

A blood sample tested for drugs showed Carter had three different opiates and "a variety of compounds." No illicit drugs were found in Carter's blood, he testified.

The test results indicated Carter took more than the prescribed amount of pain medication, he told jurors. In fact, the level of morphine in Carter's system was high enough to be lethal in some cases, he said.

Other drugs found in Carter's blood were within "therapeutic levels," he said.

Methadone levels were not high enough to indicate Carter had been taking the drug for a long time period.

His opinion was levels of drugs found in Carter's blood could be life-threatening.

Midway through the testimony, defense attorney Donald Samuel objected when prosecuting attorney Jackie Johnson asked what led to Carter's death.

Judge Amanda Williams ruled Varvieri was allowed testify after Johnson explained she wanted to establish Carter's cause of death for the jury.

The combined levels of drugs found in Carter's system were high enough to cause death, Varvieri told jurors.

"All the drugs were working the same way," he said. "The effects were additive. I can't think of a reason to have all four of these drugs present."

During cross examination, the toxicologist was shown prescriptions written to Carter.

He testified that a prescription for morphine prescribed to Carter on Nov. 15, would have run out before his death if Carter had taken them as directed.

"If he took them as directed, this would not be the morphine found in his blood," Samuel said.

Morphine was detected at "significant' levels above therapeutic levels, Varvieri testified.

But Samuel said Varvieri "didn't have a clue" where some of the drugs found in Carter's system came from.

"You don't know what doctor prescribed it," Samuel said.

Varvieri agreed there is no way to determine if drugs found in Carter's blood were prescribed by Chua. He said Carter could have crushed a morphine tablet and injected it, which could have caused his death.

But there is no way to determine if the morphine was injected or taken in tablet form, he testified

The methadone levels, however, indicated Carter may have taken a large and potentially dose before his death.