LAPLACE — A suspected drug dealer and drug buyer are facing murder charges following a fatal overdose this weekend in LaPlace, authorities said.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded at 4:32 a.m. Saturday to a motel room in the 900 block of East Airline Highway.

Sheriff Mike Tregre said the complainant, Kurt Roussel, told deputies Katie Kinler was on the floor and unresponsive. Emergency services arrived and performed CPR, but the efforts were unsuccessful. The St. John Coroner’s Office pronounced Kinler dead on the scene.

Kinler was identified as a 24-year-old St. James Parish resident who had a relationship of some kind with Roussel, 29, of St. James Parish.

Detectives determined Kinler and Roussel had used heroin during their motel stay, Tregre said, adding a search of the room led deputies to find a small clear bag containing heroin residue, marijuana, a Smith and Wesson 40 caliber handgun, a clear glass pipe, a green glass pipe with residue inside the bulb and a syringe.

Roussel told deputies he drove to Curtis Keating’s residence in Reserve to obtain heroin.

Roussel, in turn, provided that heroin to Kinler.

Because of their actions, Tregre said, Roussel was arrested for second degree murder and Keating was arrested on the lesser charge of principal to second degree murder.

“There is a law that is in the statute that allows us to affect that arrest if we can show you provided narcotics to an individual and that resulted in their death,” Tregre said.

“You can be legally charged with murder.”

According to Tregre, Keating admitted to authorities he sold drugs to Roussel.

Roussel was also booked with possession of heroin, possession of methamphetamine less than 28 grams, possession of a firearm/carrying a concealed weapon, illegal carrying of weapon with a controlled dangerous substance and possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia.

He is being held at the Sherman Walker Correctional Center in LaPlace in lieu of a $526,500 bond.

Keating also faces charges of possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

He is being held in custody at the Sherman Walker Corrections Center in lieu of a $514,000 bond.

Tregre said authorities do not anticipate making any additional arrests.