14-Year-Old Girl Dies of Apparent Overdose After Burnsville Party—Two Arrested

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Two men could face charges in the death of a 14-year-old girl who died of an apparent overdose after drinking a Sprite and codeine cough syrup cocktail during a social gathering in Burnsville. Pauviera Linson was found unresponsive in bed on Monday morning by family members. 

On Tuesday, police booked Jacob Sawyer, 19 of St. Paul, and Robert Kibble, 25 of Redwood Falls, on suspicion of unintentional third-degree murder. Linson and a 17-year-old friend apparently ingested the mixture, commonly referred to as "purple drank," "dirty Sprite" or "sizzurp," along with alcohol and marijuana, police told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Sawyer and Kibble are accused of providing the substances that may have caused Linson's death.

Linson's death remains under investigation, pending toxicology results.

The North High School student's family is still reeling from the loss. Her cousin, Gerald Phillips, told FOX 9 News that he was the one to discover Linson's lifeless body on Monday.

"When I woke up that morning, my stomach was queasy," he said. "I knew there was a part of me missing. I didn't know what it was."

Phillips said that when he entered the room he found his cousin cold, her face was covered in vomit. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Linson's friend was violently ill. She was rushed to Regions Hospital where she was treated for a possible drug overdose. As of the latest reports, the girl is in fair condition.

In multiple interviews with media, Linson's loved ones described her as a lively girl who loved to swim, dance and listen to music. She had hopes of becoming a lawyer or pursuing a career in fashion design after graduation.

Her mother, Makiesha Johnson, told the Pioneer Press that her daughter was a careful girl who must have succumbed to peer pressure at the party on Sunday night.

"This is out of her character," Johnson said. "Pauviera was always on guard. I talked to her about the facts of life early on. She knew right from wrong. This wasn't in her character to take anything from anybody."

According to KSTP, a memorial fund has been set up in Linson's name. Donations can be sent to the Pauviera Linson Memorial Trust any Twin Cities area Wells Fargo bank.