New Jersey UBM– Initially, police in New Jersey believed that 21-year-old Emily Cruddas had died of a drug overdose in 2023, and that it was a suicide. However, after almost two years of investigation, detectives have charged Cruddas’ boyfriend and her sister with injecting her hand with 10 to 15 bags of heroin and fentanyl.
Sarah Errickson, 36, and Joseph Ragan, 22, are now in prison after being charged with murder and conspiracy. On February 16, 2023, New Jersey State Police troopers responded to a report of an overdose at a residence located on East Sunrise Road in Upper Township. Inside, they discovered Cruddas, who was unresponsive. The paramedics declared her dead at the scene of the incident.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit acquired by Philadelphia ABC affiliate WPVI, Cruddas had survived a previous suicide attempt after she suffered a miscarriage. Taking that into consideration, the police first determined that her death was a suicide.
However, everything changed about a month after Cruddas died. Ragan went to the police and made a shocking confession: he and Errickson had injected Cruddas with drugs while he was unconscious. Ragan said that Errickson handed her sister two capsules filled with crushed Xanax pills after Cruddas returned home from the hospital following the suicide attempt. Errickson then allegedly grabbed 10 to 15 packets of heroin that had been laced with fentanyl and put them into a syringe.
Errickson allegedly told the police that when Cruddas was comatose, she shot the heroin into her sister’s hand and said, “Take your medicine,” as Ragan covered her mouth. After receiving the additional information, the authorities amended the method of death to “undetermined” while the inquiry was still ongoing. In April, additional information was revealed when a rucksack containing 15 wax folds of probable heroin was discovered. According to reports from the police, it was discovered that it originated from the same batch as the heroin that was recovered close to Cruddas’ death.
The police were able to make arrests after an unknown witness confirmed Ragan’s version of events during an interview with detectives. The witness stated in the affidavit that Errickson killed her sister because she held Cruddas responsible for losing custody of her children. According to the police, Errickson had previously talked about killing her sister and determined that injecting her with narcotics was the best method to go about it.
Last month, Errickson was arrested by the police after they secured a warrant for his arrest on murder charges. She is still being held at the Cape May County Jail without the option of posting bail. On January 30, Ragan was taken into custody by the police in Iowa. He is waiting to be sent back to the Garden State.
