Trial Date Set for Man Charged With Fatal Overdose in Rochester

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A trial date has been set in the case of a Twin Cities man blamed for a fatal drug overdose in Rochester.

According to court records, 44-year-old Shaun Alexander of Maplewood will face a third-degree murder charge in Olmsted County Court beginning the week of March 18 next year. A pretrial hearing in his case is scheduled on March 12.

Alexander is accused of supplying the heroin laced with fentanyl that claimed the life of a woman on the night of June 5, 2021, at the Oak Terrace Mobile Home Park in Southeast Rochester. The criminal complaint says it was Alexander who brought the overdose victim to St. Mary's Hospital around 8 AM the next morning.

The court document indicates investigators used interviews and social media messages to tie Alexander to the heroin that she used multiple times in the hours leading up to her death. A friend stated that she received a Snapchat video from the victim and it appeared to show her drifting in and out of consciousness after consuming the narcotic on camera.

An informant told police that Alexander sent a text on the morning of June 6, 2021, that stated, in part, "She can die. I'm not going to prison because she was stupid." The criminal complaint also alleges Alexander believed the woman was already dead before he arrived at the hospital emergency department.

Alexander is currently in prison for three drug-related convictions in Olmsted County that are unrelated to the fatal overdose. He began serving the sentence in October 2021 and is currently scheduled to be released in March 2025.