Just when that libertarian urge to decriminalize drugs kicks in, we read a story like the one out of Liberty in which a 17-year-old high on mushrooms kills his best friend.
The story is truly bizarre. As reported by Fox4kc, Liberty High student Jake Mustoe claimed that while under the influence of mushrooms of the psilocybin variety, he and childhood best friend Jake Wehmeyer, also 17, got into in an argument that led to a billiard ball fight. The fight escalated from there. No one was home to de-escalate it. According to neighbors, Wehmeyer’s parents were out of town, and he was supposed to be staying with friends. Instead, he remained in the family home in the affluent Woodneath Farms subdivision.
Mustoe told the police he then left the Wehmeyer house and went to his vehicle with the intention of driving into the home. To get there Mustoe had to drive through a neighbor’s lawn. When Wehmeyer tried to flag him down, Mustoe ran over Wehmeyer and dragged him into the garage door of his house. Mustoe then went into Wehmeyer’s home and passed out from the mushrooms, leaving his friend under the vehicle.
According to the probable cause statement, Mustoe woke up, went outside and noticed Wehmeyer was still under the vehicle. According to Mustoe’s account, he ran to a neighbor’s house to get help, then ran back into Wehmeyer’s and began to destroy property. At this point, he ran to his own home and contacted his mother. She went to Wehmeyer’s home, found his body and called police. Mustoe later told investigators that while high on mushrooms he thought “everything would be okay.” Everything was not.
Although school is not in session, Liberty High School has “grief counselors” available to talk to students about Wehmeyer’s death. The counselors might have been more useful before his death. There are only three photos posted on Mustoe’s Facebook page. One is a loving color photo of Adolph Hitler.
Mustoe has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. He has pled not-guilty.
