DeKalb woman charged with drug-induced homicide of teenager escapes police custody

DeKALB – A DeKalb woman accused of causing the fentanyl overdose death of a male teenager has escaped from police custody after a DeKalb County judge allowed her to go to a drug treatment facility from jail, court records show.

Madison H. Ricke, 23, of the 1300 block of East Dresser Road in DeKalb is charged with drug-induced homicide, a class 1 felony. If convicted, Ricke could face up to 15 years in prison. She also is charged with possession and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and manufacturing between 1 and 14 grams of fentanyl with the intent to deliver.

The teenage victim was from the DeKalb area, officials with the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office said.

Ricke was arrested and charged with the teenager’s death in August. DeKalb County Judge Marcy Buick granted Ricke’s release to a drug treatment facility once a bed became available Sept. 14, records show.

Terms of her release included that Ricke remain on an electronic monitoring device while receiving treatment and that she return to custody once finished.

She was issued a custody furlough Sept. 23, records show.

Ricke did not appear for a followup court hearing as ordered Sept. 29, or subsequent appearances Oct. 24 or Nov. 17, at which point prosecutors said she had violated the terms of her release.

Buick then issued a no-bond warrant for Ricke’s arrest Nov. 17, although Ricke remains at large, confirmed the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office on Nov. 22.

Prosecutors said Nov. 22 that she had fled the county’s Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program facility.

The voluntary program is offered to those in DeKalb County’s court system who are deemed by court services to qualify for the program, whether a person has insurance or not. The program, which provides inpatient and outpatient services, is meant to aid people facing criminal charges with the opportunity to lead drug-free lives and decrease changes they may relapse.

According to DeKalb County court records, the teenager’s death was reported about April 3. Ricke is accused of delivering a controlled substance, which included fentanyl, to the minor, who ingested a portion of the fentanyl and died.

Ricke was arrested by DeKalb police on a $150,000 warrant filed Aug. 15 and was being held at DeKalb County Jail.

Ricke appeared before 23rd Circuit Court Judge Philip Montgomery on Aug. 16 for a bond hearing on the charges. Ricke is represented by DeKalb County Public Defender Chip Criswell.

Montgomery set Ricke’s bond at $200,000, according to court records. She would have needed to post 10% of that, or $20,000, to be released from jail.

The DeKalb woman has several pending criminal felony cases in DeKalb County, according to court records. They include credit card forgery charges from June 2022 and felony forgery charges from December 2021. Ricke also faces theft and forgery charges from a February incident during which, prosecutors allege, she stole her former landlord’s kitchen appliances and sold them on Facebook Marketplace. Ricke was charged with felony theft in October 2021.

The cases remain pending in DeKalb County court, and Ricke has filed not-guilty pleas for all but the June 2022 and new charges.