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- [00:01]
Katie Ring
Hi Crime House Community, It's Katie Ring and if you love digging into the most gripping true crime stories, then you need to listen to another Crime House original Crimes of with Sabrina Deanna Roga and Corinne Vian. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season from Crimes of the Paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances and more. Sabrina and Corinne have been covering the true stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains and and this month they'll dive into the paranormal Listen to Crimes of every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
- [00:49]
Crime House Narrator
This is Crime House. Tonight we're covering a case from the world of sports the death of Tyler Skaggs, a major League baseball pitcher who passed away in 2019 from a drug overdose. Tyler struggled with addiction issues throughout his career and despite a man being charged in connection to his death, his family thinks the Angels franchise needs to also be held accountable. Let's get into it. The autopsy states that the young Los Angeles Angels pitcher suffocated after ingesting a mix of alcohol and the opioids oxycodone and fentanyl. The death ruled an accident. His family says the Angels organization is to blame for Skaggs overdose death. The Angels say Skaggs was the only.
- [01:33]
Sponsor/Advertisement Voice
Person responsible for his death.
- [01:35]
Crime House Narrator
The lawsuit claims the Angels ignored warning signs that former communications director Eric Kay was supplying opioids to players. Hi, I'm Katie Ring, a true crime analyst, self defense instructor and fierce advocate for victims. And this is Crime House Daily, your essential true crime companion. Every weekday morning and night here at Crime House Daily, we dig into the true crime stories making headlines right now, where justice is unfolding, arrests are happening, and new evidence is emerging. Every morning, First Watch gets you up to speed on the biggest cases. Every night, Night Watch takes you deeper. If you want to follow a case from the first 911 call to the.
- [02:18]
Katie Ring
Final verdict, this is the place for you.
- [02:21]
Crime House Narrator
Follow Crime House Daily wherever you get your podcasts, leave a review and for ad free listening. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. For video, check out our YouTube channel Rimehouse Daily or on Spotify by searching Night Watch True Crime Cases Daily in the Search tab. This episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking news. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence, so everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
- [03:04]
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- [03:37]
Crime House Narrator
Tonight we're examining a case that's been dominating the world of sports. It involves the sudden and tragic death of a star athlete, Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Although a team official has been criminally charged in connection with his death, Tyler's parents believe that it wasn't just one person responsible for his death, it was an entire franchise. Tyler had been battling addiction for several years, but in 2019 he ended up dying of asphyxiation after overdosing on fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol. But authorities believe the overdose wasn't intentional and that Tyler wasn't aware of the fentanyl in the pills. When the truth behind Tyler's untimely fate was revealed, his family launched a lawsuit against other people they believe should have been taking better care of him. The Angels franchise as a whole. As of October 21, the civil suit is still underway. But who was Tyler Skaggs? Lets dive in Tyler was born on July 13, 1991 in Woodland Hills, California, nestled within the San Fernando Valley. Tyler's family was always big on sports. His mom, Debbie, taught softball at Santa Monica High School, where he also went to school, and his stepdad had played collegiate baseball. As Tyler got older, it became clear he had real athletic potential and after a growth spurt, he also had some height, six four to be exact. His athleticism, genetics and work ethic led him to excel at both football and basketball. But Tyler always had a special love for baseball. He developed into a standout pitcher, and as a junior he was named Player of the Year in his league. His talents, especially his curveball, quickly caught the attention of major league scouts. By graduation, it was clear Tyler had what it took to Go Pro. On June 9, 2009, about a month before his 18th birthday, Tyler becomes the 40th draft pick overall when his hometown team, the Los Angeles Angels, invite him to join their minor league program. That August, he embarks on his professional baseball career. Tyler moves in with future MVP Mike Trout, Tyler becomes a top prospect, and the following year he's traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. And he quickly rises through their minor league system. Finally, on August 12, 2012, Tyler makes his major league debut with the Diamondbacks and wins his first game. Tyler is on top of the world and there are a lot of eyes on him in 2013. There's a ton of buzz around Tyler's career, which also comes with a ton of pressure. The baseball season is long, about 162 games over the course of six months, and because of the sheer amount of playing time, a lot of players have to deal with nagging injuries that pop up during that grind. These injuries can be relatively minor but still painful, especially if a player gets injured multiple times or they don't rest and recover, which many athletes don't. If a player is aiming for a bigger, better contract, then they have to stay on the field. Starting pitchers like Tyler are expected to rack up hundreds of innings, so as he starts getting injured, he does what many players do and begins self medicating so he can play through the pain. Painkillers like oxycontin are not only highly addictive opioids, they're easy to come by in the world of baseball, and Tyler gets his hands on some and for the rest of the 2013 season, he bounces back and forth between the majors and the minors, all while battling an addiction to painkillers. The substances are causing Tyler to lose focus and he's not playing at the level he's used to. When the season comes to a close, he realizes this isn't how he wants his career or life to be defined, so he quits opioids cold turkey and comes clean to his family. They are incredibly supportive and make sure he's not prescribed any addictive painkillers moving forward. Shortly after he confesses to his family, Tyler starts dating a woman named Carly Miles. But he never tells her about his struggles with opioids, and from her perspective, it's something she never even considers about him. Tyler doesn't show any signs of addiction at all. He also never tells his team about how bad his addiction was getting. But the people in charge notice his performance slipping and they trade him back to the Angels. The return home is the perfect chance for a fresh start, and ahead of the 2014 season, things are looking up. Tyler is healthy, he's on the Angels major league roster and he can start rebuilding his career. Tyler is a great teammate and his closest friend on the Angels is one of his fellow pitchers, Andrew Heaney. The two of them are total opposites when it comes to their personalities, but that only makes them closer. Tyler has a way of bringing Andrew out of his shell, and Andrew feels like he can tell Tyler anything. It really feels like everything is looking up for Tyler. But that summer, it all comes crashing down. Tyler's pitching a game in July 2014 when his arm suddenly cramps. It's so bad, his coach takes him off the mound. It's disappointing, but not the end of the world. Tyler just needs to figure out what's going on with his arm. He gets an mri, which reveals a partial tear of his ucl, which is an important ligament in his pitching elbow. He needs something called Tommy John surgery, which is a relatively common procedure for pitchers. However, it can take up to two years to recover. Tyler is heartbroken. His major league career was finally taking off. But if he doesn't get the surgery, he can kiss his career goodbye for good. So he goes through with it afterward. The recovery process is a long and hard road. And with his opioid addiction, his family is making sure he isn't taking anything stronger than Tylenol. So the pain is excruciating. But Tyler's getting impatient, and all he wants to do is get back out on the mound. So he finds a way around his family's safeguards. Tyler allegedly speaks with the Angels communications director, Eric Kay. Eric runs the team's media relations, so he works closely with the players on a daily basis. And he's reportedly also addicted to painkillers. Eric takes up to 10 Vicodins a day. Since this case is still playing out in court, there's debate over what exactly happened next. However, Eric has also supplied drugs to at least six other players. He tells them he buys them from an anonymous dealer who goes by the name Ashley Smith. And when that falls through, he turns to even sketchier sources, like the website Offerup, which I had no idea you could even do until just now. Regardless of whose idea it was, Eric starts giving Tyler pills, and Tyler continues to abuse them throughout his recovery and even when he's ready to get back on the field for his 2016 season. In 2016, during his first game back, he pitches flawlessly, leading to an Angels victory. He keeps crushing it for the next couple of years, and soon Tyler's making millions of dollars a year. He's thriving off the field, too. And on New Year's Eve 2018, he and Karlie tie the knot. However, reality soon comes back to bite him. Tyler begins to realize that he can't avoid injuries forever, and the more worn down his body becomes, the more he uses opioids to fight the pain. He manages to hide his addiction, though, and in 2019, he starts off the season at the height of his career. But then, just two weeks in, Tyler suffers a terrible ankle sprain during his game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. To his teammates and fans, it seems like the kind of injury that could ruin his season. So people are surprised when just two weeks later, Tyler is back on the mound looking better than ever. As he continues to lead his team to victories, even those closest to Tyler don't realize he's relying on opioids. But when his supply is suddenly cut off, Tyler finds it harder to keep the symptoms of his addiction under control. And by this point, he can't turn back from the deadly path he's on. I've seen so many people on social media talking about how clothes are getting more and more expensive, but the quality of the fabrics keeps getting worse and worse. It feels like even designer labels are using polyester, but charging the prices of real quality fabrics like cashmere, wool and real silk. I've been searching for some staple pieces for fall and winter that are made of high quality, real fabrics that will actually last. And if you're in the same boat, you need to check out Quint's. One of my favorite parts about Quint's is that they are working directly with ethical top tier factories so you get high quality clothes ethically sourced for half the price.
- [13:00]
Katie Ring
I'm also on the quest for the.
- [13:01]
Crime House Narrator
World'S comfiest bed, so I ordered their.
- [13:03]
Katie Ring
Linen duvet and the mulberry silk pillowcases.
- [13:07]
Crime House Narrator
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- [13:31]
Katie Ring
Now available in Canada too.
- [13:34]
Crime House Narrator
That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com chd to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quints.com chd In 2019 major league pitcher Tyler Skaggs is at the height of his career, but most people in his life don't realize his opioid addiction is stronger and more dangerous than ever. But soon it became harder for people to ignore. It all starts On Easter Sunday 2019, when Tyler's supplier Eric Kay became extremely ill due to his own addiction. That day, another man named Tom Taylor, who is the angel's traveling secretary, finds Eric in his office, he's shirtless, beet red and sweaty. Tom is deeply concerned and offers to take Eric home. Eric agrees. On the drive back, they stop at CVS Pharmacy, where Eric allegedly behaves erratically. He does karate chops as he walks down the aisles. Tom is aware of Eric's drug problem and he asks him if he's high. Eric denies it, but Tom doesn't believe him. So he contacts Eric's mother and tells her what's going on. Eric's mom does not take this lightly at all. Back in 1998, Eric's father, who played for the LA Rams, also suffered from an extreme drug addiction before he died in a car accident. Eric's mom doesn't want him to struggle with the same substance abuse, so she wastes no time checking him into a rehab facility. According to Eric, while he's there, he gets bombarded with texts from Tyler asking for more pills, and he tells Tyler he can't help him. Eric's been away for a while and Tyler's feeling desperate. So he reaches out to one of his teammates, fellow pitcher Matt Harvey, who's given him pills in the past and gets more from him. Then when Eric returns to work a month later, on June 30th, Tyler texts him and asks him for Oxy. It's a big day for Tyler. The Angels are flying to Dallas that day for a four game series against the Texas Rangers, and Tyler is scheduled to pitch on the 4th of July. And he doesn't want anything holding him back. According to Eric, he gives Tyler the pills at the airport in California. However, prosecutors have argued that he actually handed them over once they landed in Texas. In any case, Tyler now has a lot of drugs in his possession and almost as soon as they get to the hotel, he texts Eric and asks him to come to his room. In Eric's version of the story, he arrives at Tyler's hotel room and sees lines of drugs on the table, but he's not sure if they're the same ones he gave Tyler earlier. From there, Eric claims that Tyler offers him some, but Eric declines since he had just gotten out of rehab. Instead, he watches Tyler take some of the drugs, then returns to his room. But here's the thing. The hotel has no record of Eric's key card being used again that night. Eric claims that he had left his door ajar before he went to Tyler's room and that's how he got back in. But prosecutors believe this is evidence that he may have actually remained in Tyler's room all night. Which would mean Eric was present when Tyler continues abusing drugs. Later, Tyler doesn't respond to his wife Carly's good night text, which is out of character for him. But Tyler doesn't respond because he tragically loses consciousness, chokes on his own vomit, and passes away. He's only 27 years old. In the morning, another team employee discovers Tyler's body in his room. The team immediately announces his death and their game is postponed. It isn't until after Tyler's death is made public that the Angel's general manager, Billy Eppler, calls Carly to give her the news. Carly then calls Tyler's mom Debbie, who falls to the floor in tears when Carly tells her what happened. And there's more heart wrenching news to come. A later autopsy reveals that the drugs Tyler used were laced with fentanyl, and if they hadn't been, Tyler almost certainly would have survived. When investigators speak with Eric, he claims that he had no idea the drugs were laced, but they don't believe him. A few days later, with Eric's potential involvement in Tyler's death under scrutiny, the Angels place him on indefinite suspension. In the aftermath of Tyler's death, there's an outpouring of grief from all across the major league. Tyler wasn't just a talented young pitcher. He was also close friends with dozens of players. On July 12, the Angels play their first home game since Tyler's death. Every player on his team wears his jersey, number 45, and his mom, Debbie throws a first pitch to his best friend, fellow pitcher Andrew Heaney. In that game, Tyler's friends Felix Pena and Taylor Cole proceed to throw a combined no hitter. And the part that gave me chills is the last time that happened was on July 13, 1991, the day Tyler was born. After the game, each player circles the pitcher's mound and lays down their jerseys in tribute. For the rest of the season, the team wears a patch with 45 on it to remember him. The loss weighs heavily on everyone, and sports officials try to find a way to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Major League Baseball and the MLB Players association begin randomly testing players for opioids. Luckily, no opioid violations have occurred since the policy went into effect. Carly and Debbie also want to make something positive out of the tragedy. They launch the Tyler Skaggs foundation, which provides funding for youth athletics programs. And the MLB Players Trust donates $45,000. While these things help provide a sense of healing, everyone's still left with questions about the circumstances surrounding Tyler's death. In the Months following Tyler's tragic death, investigators continue to look into Eric K's potential involvement. He previously told them he had nothing to do with it. But over time, Eric cracks. He eventually admits that he did supply Tyler with drugs. However, he denies giving him the fentanyl laced pills that killed him. From there, he says he initially lied to protect his and Tyler's reputations. But investigators believe he was only covering up his role in Tyler's death. One thing is certain. Eric only made things worse for himself by lying. On October 15, 2020, he's indicted in Texas on federal drug charges, including drug distribution and drug conspiracy. The next day, his wife files for divorce. The Angels conduct an internal investigation and determine that no members of the team's management knew Eric was supplying drugs to players. However, Tyler's loved ones disagree and they want the chance to prove it in Court. In June 2021, Tyler Skaggs family files a civil lawsuit against members of the Angels organization, including Eric and his boss, Tim Meade. They asked for $118 million in lost potential wages and additional damages. Eric now has this to deal with in addition to his criminal trial, but state prosecutors offer Eric a plea deal without one. He's facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, but the state offers him 10 years in a minimum security prison. It sounds like a good deal, but Eric turns it down. The plan is to argue that Eric didn't actually cross state lines with drugs in his possession because Matt Harvey, the player that Tyler got the drugs from when Eric was in rehab, was actually the one who gave him the fentanyl laced pills. However, things do not go as planned. To start, the other four Angels players who Eric supplied drugs to testify against him, including Matt Harvey. Matt admits on the stand that he did also give Tyler drugs, but his testimony doesn't make it sound like he gave them the fatal ones. As Eric listens to Matt answer questions, he becomes increasingly frustrated because he doesn't think his lawyers are grilling him hard enough. However, even if they did, Eric's already shot himself in the foot and he doesn't even know it. The prosecution plays a recording of a phone conversation Eric had when he was in jail about Tyler's family's civil suit. I seriously don't understand how idiotic some criminals can be because how do they not know that their jail conversations are always going to be recorded anyways? He says, quote, all they see are dollar signs. They may get more money with him dying dead than if he was playing because he sucked. His comments are cold and crass, and in the end on February 17, 2022, the jury only deliberates for about an hour and a half before finding Eric guilty on both counts of drug distribution and conspiracy. He's given the minimum sentence of 20 years. Not only that, but the judge gives him an additional two years for his callousness when speaking about Tyler's family. While Tyler's family is glad to see justice served, they still believe Eric was just one part of the problem. But their civil suit is postponed for two years. Finally, on October 14, 2025, they head to court. Lawyers for the Angels maintain that the team had no idea about Tyler's addiction or Eric's involvement, but the family argues that it doesn't matter. They say team leadership should have known and protected Tyler by monitoring Eric's relationships with players. They also point to the team's continued support of Eric as evidence of their culpability because the Angels are funding his legal fees for his upcoming appeal. As of Tuesday, October 21, arguments are still underway. Tyler's friend, MLB star Mike Trout has testified and said he never saw any signs that Tyler was using drugs. The trial is expected to take weeks and we'll be bringing you all of the major updates as they come in. What did you think of tonight's case? Drop your thoughts and theories in the comments. See you next time. If you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel rimehousedaily and follow us on social media rimehouse247 for real time updates. Because the pursuit of justice never stops.
- [24:49]
Katie Ring
Looking for your next crime house? Listen, don't miss Crimes of with Sabrina Deanna Roga and Corinne Vien. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season from Crimes of the Paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances, and more. Their first season is Crimes of Infamy, the true stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains. And coming up next is Crimes of the Paranormal, real life cases where the line between the living and the dead gets seriously blurry. Listen to Crimes of every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to your podcast.