A man in Oregon, who was accused of drugging a group of 12-year old girls at his daughter’s sleepover last summer, has recently divorced his wife after the allegations that took place on August 25th.
Michael Meyden, 57, and his wife divorced last October, less than two months after the alleged incident.
Meyden was a former human resources director. He now lives in Vancouver, Washington.
According to the Lake Oswego Police Department, Meyden was indicted last week on nine felony and misdemeanor charges, including causing another person to ingest a controlled substance.
Meyden posted bail, which was set at $50,000, and he pleaded not guilty. However, Meyden turned himself in to local police last Thursday.
A probable cause affidavit stated that Meyden is accused of lacing a batch of mango smoothies with benzodiazepine.
Meyden then went on to serve the drinks to his daughter’s friends during a sleepover that the girls claim he was “very involved” with throughout the night.
Meyden encouraged the girls to drink the smoothies and even remade one of the drinks after one of the girls said it tasted funny.
When the girls went to sleep, one of the girls who secretly did not finish her drink saw Meyden come downstairs and perform tests to see if the girls were sleeping.
The girl told authorities that he put his finger under one of their noses and waved his hand in front of her face. Mayden made repeated trips to the basement to check on the girls.
“I could feel him watching just by sensing his presence as I pretended to be asleep with my eyes closed shut. When he left the room, I hurried and texted my mom at 1:43 in the morning and told her, ‘Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I don’t feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!!’, I was so scared!”
Shortly after her parents received the text, her parents showed up at Meyden’s home to pick up their daughter and alerted other parents to pick up their children as well.
Police spoke with the girls at the hospital where they were treated later that morning.
Police said in the affidavit that officers arrived at the hospital and said one of the 12-year-old girls walked slowly and used the assistance of her mother for balance, her eyelids were heavy, and she spoke slowly. Another girl could not walk without assistance when her parents arrived to pick her up that night.
Lake Oswego Police later determined that Meyden was responsible for the drugs detected in the girls’ bloodstreams.
Meyden’s attorney Mark Cogan said, “My client is presumed innocent and we hope that people will reserve judgment until all of the facts and circumstances are known.”
