Oregon man who spiked his daughter's friends' smoothies with sedatives during sleepover sentenced to 2 years in prison

An Oregon man who spiked the smoothies of three of his daughter's friends with sedatives last year during a sleepover pleaded guilty Monday to multiple felonies and was sentenced to two years in prison, according to court documents and the attorneys who oversaw the case.

Michael Meyden, 57, of Lake Oswego, pleaded guilty to three counts of causing another person to ingest a controlled substance in Clackamas County Circuit Court, according to prosecutors and one of the attorneys by Meyden, Jeff Turnoy.

Clackamas County Prosecutor John Wentworth said in a statement Tuesday that Meyden deserves time behind bars.

“Mr Meyden’s actions are inexcusable and reckless and require punishment commensurate with the crime,” he said. “The impact of this event on the child victims, their families and our community has been enormous.”

Turnoy said Tuesday that his client could receive a five-month reduction in his sentence if he behaves well. The sentence was part of a deal negotiated with prosecutors that included the dismissal of three additional felonies and three additional misdemeanors, authorities said.

Meyden also received three years of post-prison supervision, prosecutors said, adding that the dropped charges would not result in an extended sentence.

Meyden's victims and their loved ones were in court Monday, Turnoy said, noting that his client apologized through tears.

“Mr. Meyden is incredibly remorseful and humiliated by his conduct and his choices,” Turnoy said. “He rightly understands that he has hurt a lot of people and regrets all of that very much. And his demeanor in court was genuine and genuine, showing nothing but sincerity in apologizing and regretting his behavior.

Meyden drugged three of his daughter's friends while they were sleeping on the night of Aug. 25, 2023, according to court documents and a probable cause affidavit.

The girls, all aged 12 last year, were hospitalized and tested positive for benzodiazepine, described in the affidavit as a medication typically prescribed for anxiety, with common prescriptions going by the names Valium, Xanax and Klonopin. Benzodiazepines are a depressant that produces sedation, drowsiness and a relaxed mood, the affidavit states.

Turnoy said Meyden's daughter also tested positive for drugs, but he was not accused of drugging her.

Although the affidavit does not specify why Meyden laced the smoothies with sedatives, Meyden told the court this week, according to Turnoy, “that he was trying to put the girls to sleep and not sneak out of the house so that 'they engage in sexual activities'. the activities the family had planned for the next day.

On the night of the sleepover, Meyden was very involved in the girls' activities and would take them to get their nails done and to buy pizza for dinner, according to the affidavit.

The girls spent most of their time in the basement, where they had a “spa night,” the affidavit states.

Before the four girls went to bed, Meyden made them smoothies. The girls, including Meyden's daughter, were all given two smoothies each in milkshake-style glasses, the affidavit states.

“Mr. Meyden specifically gave each of the girls specific colored reusable straws to distinguish their own drink. Mr. Meyden insisted that the girls drink from their own cups,” the affidavit states.

One girl drank two cups, another one one cup, and a third said she didn't like smoothies and hardly drank them at all. It's unclear exactly how many smoothies Meyden's daughter drank, but one girl told police it appeared to be a significant amount, according to the affidavit.

A girl who told police she drank two smoothies said she started feeling dizzy, hot and clumsy shortly after finishing the second smoothie. She said she “blacked out” and slipped into a “thick, deep sleep” that she had never experienced before, the affidavit states.

According to the affidavit, two girls slept on a sofa bed in the basement, while two others slept in a bedroom in the basement. The third girl, who didn't drink much smoothie, reported that Meyden went down more than once. She was sleeping near another girl and said Meyden tried to physically separate the two, the document states.

After Meyden went back upstairs, the third girl, afraid for her friend who was sleeping heavily, approached her again, the affidavit states.

Meyden returned a second time and again tried to separate the girls from each other. He also put his finger under the nose of the girl who was pretending to sleep, according to the affidavit.

The girl frantically began calling and texting her parents and friends to come pick her up.

“Mom, please come get me and say I had a family emergency. I don't feel safe. I may not respond, but please come get me,” one of the texts read, according to the affidavit. “Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!!”

The girl was able to reach a family friend, who picked her up and took her home. Eventually, two parents went to Meyden's home to pick up the other two girls, the affidavit states.