A 39-year-old woman, Kenda Hess, who was wanted for homicide, was stopped by police years after the alleged crime. To deceive police, Hess claimed she was her sister, Koty. Unbeknownst to her, Koty was also wanted by police for theft.
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According to PennLive, citing police sources, Hess was stopped by City of York police in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on May 21. At around 3 a.m., Hess allegedly identified herself as her sister Koty, after being stopped for unspecified violation, according to a press release obtained by the outlet.
However, without her knowledge, Koty Hess had a felony retail theft warrant with Quarryville Borough police, so officers arrested her. Hess continued her alleged impersonation while at a York County prison. However, when confronted by Quarryville Borough police, she allegedly confessed to actually being Kenda Hess.
Following her admission, Kneda Hess was arrested and booked into Lancaster County Prison on charges of drug delivery resulting in death, aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, and manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver.
Drug Overdose Death
As per the outlet, the charges are connected to the December 29, 2019, death of Tessa Dietz. The victim was found unresponsive in her Lancaster County home after apparently overdosing.
A probable cause affidavit detailed that, despite efforts to reanimate Dietz, she was pronounced dead at the scene. She had been found on her bathroom floor. Alongside her, lay several bags and a syringe with an exposed needle.
The victim’s boyfriend told police that she found her demeanor to be “unusual” before her death. He believed that Dietz was high. However, according to him, Dietz had been clean of heroin for a year and a half. The boyfriend then claimed that Dietz, if she had indeed obtained heroin, could have obtained it from Kenda Hess or a friend named “Jo Jo,” as per the affidavit.
Dietz’s cellphone, according to police, showed communication between her and Hess and Jo Jo, later identified as Johanna Demanche. After trying to talk her out of getting heroin, Demanche allegedly drove Hess to give Dietz four bags of heroin. In turn, the women got $20, as per the police.
Two of the bags remained with Hess. The other two bags of the drug, the ones that were found near Dietz’s body, were left with the victim, according to the police.
Demanche was charged with manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, drug delivery resulting in death, and two counts of conspiracy, as per Lancaster Online. In April 2022, Demanche pleaded guilty to the charges. She was sentenced to two and a half to five years in prison, as per the outlet.
Kenda Hess was charged with the aforementioned charges and was released on a $50,000 unsecured bail at the time.