Pacific County Superior Court

Published 5:59 am Tuesday, May 14, 2024

SOUTH BEND — The following cases saw significant progress during the criminal docket of the Pacific County Superior Court on May 10, 2024:

Patricia L. Clifford, 42 — She is the remaining defendant facing a charge for the overdose death of Ryan M. Knight on Jan. 29, 2024. Her co-defendant, Jose E. Meza, 38, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement to second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced on April 19 to 77 months in prison and 18 months of community custody upon release.

According to court records, Clifford’s case is no longer headed to trial after a deal was reportedly reached for a lesser charge. The Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office amended Clifford’s charge of controlled substance homicide to delivery of a controlled substance.

Clifford is scheduled to enter a change of plea and be sentenced on June 7. Her trial, scheduled to begin on July 22, was stricken.

Samantha R. Hess (Vineyard-Howard), 31 — Her case is on track to go to trial on June 10. She is accused of delivering the fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of Ryan O’Connor on March 21, 2023. She faces one count of controlled substance homicide.

Her co-defendant, Tristan Lund, of South Bend, quickly took a plea deal last year for several lesser charges – three counts of delivery of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a firearm. Lund was sentenced to 84 months, with concurrent sentences of 40 and 20 months and 12 months of community custody upon release.

Hess’s hearing was a motion hearing for the entry of findings of facts and conclusions of law. She has a trial confirmation hearing scheduled for May 24, and her trial is scheduled to begin on June 10.

The Observer will be covering the trial.