A federal court in Texas found former Angels communications director Eric Kay guilty for providing drugs to former pitcher Tyler Skaggs that caused his death in 2019. Kay faces a minimum sentence of 20 years, with sentencing slated for June.
After the verdict was announced, the Skaggs family and the Angels each released statements expressing sadness for the entire ordeal.
“We are very grateful to the government and the jury for seeing this important case through to the right verdict,” the Skaggs family’s statement read, per ESPN’s T.J. Quinn. “Tyler was the light of our family. He is gone, and nothing can ever bring him back. We are relieved that justice was served, although today is a painful reminder of the worst day in the life of our family.”
A coroner’s report said Skaggs, 27, had choked to death on his vomit in 2019, and a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone was in his system. The jury reached its verdict after fewer than three hours of deliberation.
“On behalf of the entire Angels organization, we are saddened by the devastating heartache that surrounds this tragedy, especially for the Skaggs family,” the team’s statement read. “Our compassion goes out to all families and individuals that have been impacted.”
During the trial, numerous former Angels players testified about drug use while playing for the team. In all, five players admitted to using opioids, though only Harvey said that he provided opioids to Skaggs.
“The players’ testimony was incredibly difficult for our organization to hear, and it is a reminder that too often drug use and addiction are hidden away,” the statement read. “From the moment we learned of Tyler’s death, our focus has been to fully understand the circumstances that led to this tragedy.”
