Two New London people charged in connection with two overdose deaths

NEW LONDON - Two New London people were charged in Waupaca County Circuit Court on Thursday in connection to two drug overdose deaths, New London police said.

April Hardegen, 30, and Aaron Van Dyke, 31, of New London were taken into custody June 2 after the deaths of a New London woman and a Waupaca County man.

New London police responded about 6 p.m. April 22 to a report that a 24-year-old woman hadn't been to work for two days and hadn't been seen recently, according to a criminal complaint.

Officers found the woman dead inside her apartment, the complaint says. Officers suspected a drug overdose, later confirmed by an autopsy, based on heroin, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia found inside the residence.  

Police received "a number of tips" that Hardegen and Van Dyke supplied the woman with drugs. A review of the woman's phone indicated Hardegen had supplied the woman with heroin and fentanyl April 20. 

New London police and Waupaca County deputies had already "developed intelligence, including controlled buys, that (Hardegen) and (Van Dyke) worked together to bring illegal substances to Waupaca County for resale," the complaint says.

Waupaca County deputies responded May 30 to a "potential overdose" of a 33-year-old man. The man's girlfriend told police she bought the heroin from another man at a motel in New London. That man also spoke to police, the complaint says, and indicated that he had bought the heroin involved in the overdose from Hardegen.

The 33-year-old man was declared brain dead June 1 and was removed from life support June 5, the complaint says. 

Hardegen told investigators she and Van Dyke had been "trafficking illegal drugs for some time," making numerous trips to Milwaukee to buy heroin. She also admitted to supplying the heroin involved in the two overdose deaths.

Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @benita_mathew. Contact Chris Mueller at 920-996-7267 or cmueller@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AtChrisMueller