Early Monday morning, Travis C. Heidinger, a 44-year-old resident of Palm Coast, was found dead in a bathroom in his mother’s house on Llanes Place.
Heidinger’s 72-year-old mother and her 56-year-old husband had heard a loud thump around midnight but did not investigate, they told a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy. Heidinger’s mother had woken up at 5 that morning and heard the shower running in the upstairs bathroom.
She tried several times to alert her son that she was at the bathroom door. There was no answer. She grabbed a screwdriver and began to pick the lock. She found her son unresponsive and sought her husband’s help. Her husband immediately began chest compressions until sheriff’s deputies began arriving at the scene, one of whom conducted CPR until a Flagler County Fire Rescue unit arrived at the scene.
A Rescue 92 paramedic pronounced Travis Heidinger dead at 5:13 a.m.
A deputy found a spoon with a brown substance in it on the bathroom counter, a hypodermic needle, and a lighter all in the same vicinity, according to the sheriff’s report. It is the nearly identical scene of many of an overdose as the opioid epidemic has claimed victims in Flagler and Palm Coast with increasing frequency over the past two years.
Heidinger’s mother told a deputy he had a history with drug use but she was not sure what drugs he was using, nor who supplied him with narcotics. He was released from state prison only a few months ago on a sentence he would not have served but for a violation of drug-offender probation. Several years ago he had worked at a local plant nursery until a run-in with the law.
After Heidinger was pronounced, the scene was turned over to the sheriff’s investigative division and the crime scene investigator, as is the norm in such cases.
Mike Green says
Maybe the felony judges in this county could stop sentencing drug dealers to probation and/or probation for selling hard drugs. That would be a start. There’s little to no penalty for getting caught selling drugs anymore. What’s the incentive to stop?? They’ll make more money selling dope for 6 months before (if) they get caught where laying down in jail for a couple or months isn’t even a slap on the wrist. We need harsher punishment for first time convicted drug dealers!!
Ann Marie Marszalek says
Where is our Opioid Task Force? I believe it was Joe Mullins that wanted my vote. Let’s see is this was yet more spoke blown up the asses of the people who believed it. Oh well live and learn.
Skwow says
Oh come on! Someone just died and the family is in mourning. Have a little compassion.
Brenda Smith says
My deepest condolence to his Mother, as no mother should have to experience this. To his Family and Friends this is such a tragedy. I pray that some day soon some thing will be done about our drug problem her in the USA, as we have a problem total out of control. How many lives does it take before some things done. Wake Up America we must do more.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
How horribly sad for his mother above all. Life is a precious gift that I cherish and thank God above for everyday I have on this earth – no matter what .
How can I help others to embrace these feelings? I wonder how many people do not love themselves so they turn to these man made evil drugs which distort their lives even more. And all this hoopla about not legalizing pot which is far less dangerous and certainly not deadly.
It obviously is the ‘legal drug lords’ who are as greedy as their ‘illegal cohorts. Only real difference is that the legal drug lords continue to be condoned instead of condemned ( my opinion). My heart goes out to those and their loved ones at the same time my anger grows towards the so called ‘ legal drug lords’. So sad so very very sad
How do you see it?
Trailer Bob says
Very well stated Jane.
Speak the truth says
My sincere condolences go out to the family keep your negative comments to yourself what if this was your loved one how would you feel stop for a minute and think and send prayers out to this family this poor mother breaks my heart
Outsider says
Jane, I was with you right up to the point where you advocate for the legalization of pot. For the life of me I can’t understand the logic of legalizing another mind altering drug, while we are in the midst of an opioid epidemic. Legalization just sends a signal to our children that it is okay to self-medicate for whatever reason. Certainly not all, but some will move on to other harsher drugs and create more addicts. Legal pot makes it easier for kids to get hold of it, and I see too many parents who smoke, and even some who smoke with their kids, and then people are wondering why we have addiction problems. I am sorry for the family and friends of this man.
Hurting says
He had a wife and two little girls (12 and 10)…
Agkisrodon says
Until the southern border is at least as secure as the Northern”Canada” border, this garbage will keep pumping in. Heroin and Fentanyl are pouring across the Mexican border. Also A lot of meth.
Really says
@outsider until you have tried it you wouldn’t know only whst you hear and read. No credibility Alcohol is wsy worse and its right down the Street 160 proof no less