Olivia man charged with Renville County overdose death

An Olivia man, Bradley James Westphal, 37, has been charged with one count of Murder in the Third Degree in connection with an overdose death that occurred last July.

In the early hours of July 19, 2021, law enforcement responded to Westphal’s residence to find a victim not breathing. and without a pulse. The victim was transported to the hospital, where she later died.

According to a witness, Westphal had provided the victim with pills believed to be Percocet, which she took. The witness stated that 15-20 minutes later, the victim started to fall asleep and gasp for air. The witness also stated she yelled at Mr. Westphal to call 911, but that he refused to do so, and instead removed drugs and drug paraphernalia from the residence, made phone calls, and sent a Facebook message.

Law enforcement collected pills from the scene, which were identified as Fentanyl. In addition, the victim’s autopsy results showed that she died of the effects of Fentanyl. Neither Percocet nor its components were found in the victim’s toxicology.

Westphal had his first appearance in Renville County Court on Wednesday, December 22. He is currently being held on $300,000 unconditional bail, and $150,000 conditional bail.

Various law enforcement agencies including the Olivia Police Department, Renville County Sheriff’s Office, the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension assisted in the investigation.