$250K Bond for Woman Accused of Stealing Morphine That Killed Friend

A former nursing assistant was held on $250,000 bond Saturday after she was charged in the death of her friend, who died after taking morphine that she allegedly stole from work last May.

Michelle Johnson, 40, was charged Friday with one count of drug-induced homicide, theft over $500 and delivery of a controlled substance, a statement from the Cook County Sherriff’s office said.

In May 2013, sheriff’s police discovered Johnson had stolen pharmaceutical-grade morphine from the medical facility where she worked in unincorporated Maine Township, the statement said.

Detectives learned at the time that Palatine police found morphine at a home in the 700 block of Whispering Oaks Court, where they were investigating the death of 34-year-old John Maher. Officers saw that the morphine was not prescribed to Maher, the sheriff’s office said.

Both Palatine police and the sheriff’s office discovered that Maher had died from taking the morphine, and that it was the same stash Johnson had stolen from the Maine Township medical facility, the statement said.

Johnson and Maher, who were friends, got together after she had allegedly stolen the morphine, police found during the investigation.

The Palatine woman will appear in bond court Saturday morning.