Witness in civil trial over death of Tyler Skaggs says Angels knew about PR flack's drug dealing

SANTA ANA, Calif. (CN) — For the first time in the civil trial over the death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, his family presented evidence that the team knew that one of their employees was selling pills to players in 2017, two years before Skaggs died of a drug overdose.

The evidence came in the form of testimony by Camela Kay, the ex-wife of former Angels communications director Eric Kay, who is now serving 22 years in federal prison for selling Skaggs a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl, which played a role in his accidental death in 2019. Camela Kay said that the day after her family held an unsuccessful intervention for her ex-husband, two Angels employees — Tim Mead and Tom Taylor — visited the house. While there, Mead, she said, found six or seven plastic baggies, each with about six white pills in them. She said she did not believe the baggies were for Eric Kay’s personal use.

When asked by plaintiff’s attorney Leah Graham whom they were intended for, Camela Kay replied, “I’m not sure. But I could take a guess.”

When asked what that guess was based on, she said, “My observations, and knowing Eric and his job. Being in the clubhouse with the players. My guess is that he is supplying that to them.”

That last statement was objected to and stricken from the record. But Camela Kay’s viewpoint was clear: Her ex-husband was selling drugs to players. She also testified that she discovered a handful of marijuana vape pens in her house.

“Eric told me they were for the players,” she said, later adding: “I believe he was selling to make extra money.”

Camela Kay also recalled witnessing the at times debauched nature of the Angels clubhouse culture, particularly on road trips. Remembering a plane ride with the team, she said, “I have seen them passing out pills or drinking alcohol excessively,” later clarifying that she meant the players and the clubhouse attendants. She believes the pills included Xanax, a benzodiazepine typically used to treat anxiety, and Percocet, an opioid painkiller.

Skaggs’ wife and parents are suing the Angels, claiming that they were responsible for Skaggs’ death because they knew that Kay was abusing drugs and selling drugs to players. Skaggs died in a hotel room in Texas, the night before an away game. Kay had accompanied the team on the road trip to help facilitate media interviews. The plaintiffs have suggested that the team indulged Eric Kay and enabled his drug use, declining to discipline him or force him into drug treatment until after Skaggs’ death. They claim it was negligent — a “reckless and egregious decision” — to let Kay travel with the team, allowing him close access to the players.

Most of the initial witnesses called by the plaintiffs have been Angels employees, including star slugger Mike Trout, who testified last week, but also Mead, who was Eric Kay’s direct supervisor, and Taylor, the team’s longtime traveling secretary. Mead and Taylor adamantly denied knowing that Kay had a drug problem until the failed intervention in 2017. Mead insisted that he believed Kay was “mismanaging” his prescription medication, which he took to treat his depression and bipolar disorder.

When plaintiffs’ attorney Rusty Hardin asked Mead if he recalled finding baggies filled with pills in Eric Kay’s shoebox, Mead said he didn’t recall. While Mead came across as sincere and empathetic, Camela Kay’s testimony made Mead’s look less than forthcoming.

“Tim Mead was aware of Eric’s drug addiction,” Kay testified. She also said that at one point, Eric Kay’s sister told her that some pills they found at the house were intended to be given to Skaggs, information she passed on to Taylor — whose reaction, she said, did not inspire confidence.

“He blows me off,” Kay said. “Just changes the subject.”

Days later, Eric Kay overdosed from taking six different kinds of drugs, according to Camela Kay, including Suboxone, a drug meant to treat opioid addiction but which itself is addictive. At the hospital, Camela said Eric’s mother searched his cell phone, and it had numerous text messages from a contact named “SD.”

“He kept asking where he was at, and that he had his candy for him,” Camela Kay said, indicating that she took ‘candy’ to be a sort of code word for drugs. There were also several texts from Skaggs, asking, according to Camela, “did he have what he wanted.”

That information, she said, was also passed on to Mead and Taylor.

After the overdose, Eric Kay attended a six-week outpatient drug treatment program. He returned to work in June with increased responsibilities, since Mead had by then left the Angels. When asked if she was concerned about the trip, that month, to Texas, Camela Kay replied: “Yes. He was starting to act erratic again. I thought he was abusing the Suboxone.”

Prior to Kay taking the stand, and with the jury yet to enter the room, defense attorneys strenuously objected to any testimony of conversations between her and Eric Kay, claiming that it fell under the spousal privilege. The plaintiffs argued that the Angels had no standing to make such an objection, since they weren’t the husband or the wife. Plaintiff’s attorney Daniel Dutko called Camela’s testimony “the heart of our case,” saying the Angels had an obligation to investigate Eric Kay’s drug dealing and didn’t.

Superior Court Judge Shaina Colover overruled the objection, with one exception — she said that Camela couldn’t say Eric told her he was selling pills to the players.

Defense attorney Todd Theodora also complained that the case appears to be dragging. Testimony is taking roughly twice as long as estimated.

“At this rate, we’re going into January of next year,” Theodora said.

If true, there would be a serious threat of a mistrial. The jury was told the case would wrap up in December, before the holidays. And there are only four alternates.

“I want us to be moving along,” the judge agreed.

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