EASTON, Pa. — A champion wrestler was in almost constant communication with his alleged drug dealer hours before his Christmas Day 2020 death, phone records revealed at trial Wednesday.
Prosecutors have accused Christopher Ferrante of providing Michael Racciato with the fentanyl that led to his death in a Lower Nazareth Township parking lot. Ferrante, 43, faces up to 20 years in prison on charges of drug delivery resulting in death and six lesser counts.
But to prove their case, First Assistant District Attorney Richard Pepper and Assistant District Attorney Patricia Turzyn need to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Ferrante’s drugs are to blame for Racciato’s fatal overdose.
- Christopher Ferrante is accused of providing the drugs that killed 26-year-old Michael "Mikey" Racciato
- Prosecutors presented phone data linking Ferrante and Racciato in the hours leading up to his December 2020 death
- Ferrante, 43, of Macungie, faces the possibility of decades in prison if convicted of all charges
The strongest evidence presented Wednesday may have been data investigators pulled from the cell phones of the victim and defendant. A timeline showed Racciato hounded Ferrante the afternoon of Christmas Eve, calling and texting him dozens of times to make a purchase.
Racciato texted Ferrante the address of the Lower Nazareth Township Walmart, with the records suggesting they met up around 3:54 p.m. Less than 30 minutes later, Colonial Regional Police were dispatched to the Walmart, where Racciato was arrested for public drunkenness.
The text messages and call records matched the testimony of Phil Racciato, Michael’s father. He testified Tuesday that he went to St. Luke’s University Hospital – Anderson, where Michael was being treated after the arrest. He used his son’s phone to call and warn Ferrante to stay away from his son.
“Your [sic] driving them nuts you need to chill out,” Ferrante texted Michael Racciato while he was still at St. Luke’s.
When Racciato responded by cursing about his father, Ferrante defended the elder Racciato. “He loves you and he doesn’t know what to do,” he texted. “Desperate men do desperate things.”
When he was released from the hospital around 9:25 p.m., Michael Racciato called Ferrante instead of his father for a ride back to his car. When the Racciato family hadn’t heard back from their son, Phil used a tracker to locate his son’s car on Christmas Day. He found it in a hotel parking lot not far from the Walmart. Michael was slumped over the console, cold to the touch.
Prosecutors also called experts to testify about how they conducted the investigation, including Coroner Zachary Lysek and Zhongxue Hua, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy.
“The fentanyl alone and by itself would have been sufficient to cause death.”Forensic Pathologist Zhongxue Hua
Defense attorney Gary Asteak has yet to call any witnesses or present experts, but his cross-examination has hinted to some of the holes he’ll attempt to poke in the prosecution’s case.
Their official reports determined Michael Racciato died from a cocktail of drugs including fentanyl, methadone, benadryl and an animal sedative, Asteak noted. Hua stressed that while all of them technically suppress breathing, the fentanyl likely played an outsized role.
“The fentanyl alone and by itself would have been sufficient to cause death,” Hua testified.
Asteak also focused on Michael Racciato's mental health over his final months. Documents throughout Michael's medical history repeatedly stated he was depressed over his inability to overcome his addiction. Days before his death, Michael was recorded saying he wanted to die and asking his father to kill him.
Phil Racciato vehemently denied in testimony Tuesday that his son was suicidal, and Lysek testified Wednesday that he classified Michael's death as accidental. But Asteak questioned how officials could reach that conclusion when he had been ranting and raving that he wanted to die and then overdosed three days later.
"Wouldn't that be relevant to determining his state of mind?" Asteak asked.
"I think it was an isolated incident and may have been reactionary," Lysek said, noting Michael Racciato was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
While fatal drug overdoses have grown disturbingly common in the Lehigh Valley, the case against Ferrante has taken on an elevated status due to local politics. Stephen Baratta, a retired Northampton County judge running for district attorney, has pointed to the handling of the case as proof incumbent Terry Houck is mismanaging the office. Houck denies the claim, saying Baratta is mischaracterizing the situation.
The case was scheduled for trial in May 2022 when prosecutors requested a continuance at the last minute. The DA's office changed attorneys two weeks before the scheduled trial, and the new prosecutors asked for another delay. More time was needed to find a toxicology expert, they said.
When Judge John Morganelli denied the request, the DA's office appealed. While the Superior Court upheld Morganelli's decision, the process took 11 months, more time than prosecutors originally requested. The delay took so long that Morganelli lowered Ferrante's bail to $1, allowing him to be released from jail.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide can call the Northampton County crisis line at 610-252-9060. By dialing 988, you can also reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline available 24 hours a day. The Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support to people in crisis when they text HELLO to 741741.
