Edgartown police arrested Gabriel Grasing of 13 North Street for possession of prescription pills following an investigation into the unattended death of Scott Francis, 48, of Edgartown on Friday.
State Police and Edgartown Police went to the Grasing residence to investigate an unattended death after residents of the home discovered a roommate unconscious in a bathroom and called 911, according to a police press release.
Mr. Francis was pronounced dead at the scene and his body transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. “No obvious signs of death were observed and foul play is not suspected,” police said.
Police learned that after the discovery of the body, Mr. Grasing, 38, left the house before police arrived and went directly to a house in Oak Bluffs where he hid a backpack.
Police seized the backpack which contained 13 different prescription medications in various pill bottles, containers, and sandwich baggies totaling approximately 200 pills, according to the report.
Mr. Grasing was arraigned in Edgartown District Court Monday on charges of: Obstruction of Justice, possession of a class B substance (oxycodone), possession of a class C substance (clonazapam), possession of a class E substance (amphetamine), possession of a class E substance (alprazolam).
He was released on $1,000 bail.
Police said the case is under investigation and further charges may be sought in connection with the ongoing prescription drug portion of the incident.
