Press Release  Andover Man Charged with Manslaughter in 2019 Overdose Death

Andover, MA — An Andover man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with drug distribution that ended with a fatal overdose in December 2019

Joseph Comeau, 25, was arraigned yesterday afternoon in Salem Superior Court on involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal overdose of Max Durham, who was 20 at the time of his death. 

Judge Jeffrey Karp entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.  He set bail at $7500 cash and ordered the defendant to remain under house arrest with a GPS monitoring device.

On March 18, 2021, the Essex Grand Jury secretly indicted Mr. Comeau following a joint investigation by Andover Police, Essex State Police Detective Unit and the Essex District Attorney’s Office that began in December 2019.  He turned himself in to Andover Police on a warrant yesterday.

Essex Assistant District Attorney Kelleen Forlizzi told the court that on December 6, 2019, the defendant arranged to sell drugs to Durham in Manchester, NH.  Durham drove to Manchester with a friend who allegedly witnessed the transaction.  The defendant allegedly bragged about the strength of the drugs, which ultimately turned out to be straight fentanyl.  Durham was found dead in his Andover home the next morning.

The defendant is represented by Attorney Dan Murphy and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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