Merrill woman sentenced for heroin death (UPDATE)

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MERRILL, Wis. (AP) — A defendant has been sentenced to four years in prison for providing heroin to a woman who injected the drug in the bathroom of a Merrill gas station.

Lincoln County prosecutors say 21-year-old Kristine Woellner brokered a heroin deal, provided Tara Bryant heroin and needles and left her in the rest room. A child discovered Bryant in the bathroom and she survived the overdose.

District Attorney Kurt Zengler told a judge Wednesday that Woellner “did everything she needed to do to kill Ms. Bryant short of putting a gun to her head.” Defense attorney Alec Nocco maintained it was a non-violent offense.

WJFW-TV reports Judge Jay Tlusty also ordered Woellner to serve five years of extended supervision following her prison sentence and get drug and alcohol counseling.

Information from: WJFW-TV, http://www.wjfw.com

Editor’s Note: This story was updated Oct. 7, 2014, to reflect that Tara Bryant survived the overdose.