Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Trainspotting in East Charlotte



The 1996 British film about heroin addicts in the 1980's is a gritty look at five young men as they pass through life tormented by heroin addiction. Set in historic Edinburgh Scotland the five go about their days passed over by "normal" society.

As Charlotte learns more about the death of Valerie Hamilton many are surprised to learn that drugs may have played a role. Hamilton's accused killer Micheal Harvey has a long record of addiction, and petty crime to support his drug habit.

When Harvey was arrested in New York on Monday police found him laying on a couch high on heroin with drugs and "tools of addiction" scattered on a coffee table. Photos and video of Harvey shortly after his arrest show him passed out in the back of a police SUV.

Last month 17 year old Danielle Holmes and her boyfriend Jonathan Fitzgerald were heroin addicts in search of a "fix" when they killed alleged drug dealer Oscar Alvarado Chavez at an apartment complex off of Central Avenue.

Once considered a ghetto drug, and something only "hard core" drug addicts would become involved in, heroin has found a home in middle class America as the drug of choice for young people. Today's heroin addicts are more likely to smoke the drug rather than inject the drug. Humorously many these addicts will present their arms and lack of needle marks claiming to be drug free.

This lack of "tell tail" signs leaves most friends and family members surprised to learn of an addicts hard core drug abuse that more times than not includes heroin.

East Charlotte's connection to Mexico is stronger than ever and that connection unfortunately includes heroin and with it comes crime and sometimes murder.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

If you actually know Danielle Holmes or Jonathan Fitzgerald or Oscar Chavez and are willing to speak about the impact of black tar heroin on their lives, please contact investigative reporter Stuart Watson at swatson@wcnc.com.