Synthetic drug shipped from China kills 1 Minnesota teen, sickens another

A missing 17-year-old male was found dead in a marsh on Sunday after consuming a synthetic psychedelic drug he had purchased over the internet from China. He has been identified as Alexander Snyder of Chanhassen, Minn.

On Sept. 27, a caller reported his son was missing and he had tracked him through an application on the son’s phone to Lake Minnewashta Regional Park in Chanhassen.  He called police after finding the teen’s shoes and cell phone in the park.

The first deputy to arrive found Snyder face up in a cattail marsh just 3 to 4 inches deep, Carver County Sheriff’s Office stated.  The teen appeared to be having a “medical event resembling a seizure,” and was transported to a nearby hospital after first responders administered first aid.  He died two days later at Hennepin County Medical Center.

A second 17-year-old male told authorities he and Snyder had consumed the synthetic psychedelic drug just prior to his disappearance. The drug had been purchased on the Internet and shipped from China. Snyder’s friend said he too experienced ill effects from the drug and was transported to a nearby hospital then later released.