A Bowling Green woman has been found guilty of providing the fentanyl that killed her ex-husband.

The jury of seven men and five women spent about five hours deliberating Tuesday before returning a verdict in Wood County Common Pleas Court.

Heather Henning had been indicted in June for involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony; corrupting another with drugs, a second-degree felony; and trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony.

She was accused of furnishing and administering fentanyl to Jeffrey Henning at their home in the 300 block of Derby Avenue on Jan. 7, 2021.

The jury found her guilty on all three charges.

Her two-day trial started Monday.

The fentanyl level found in Jeffrey Henning’s autopsy was nearly 100 times the safe limit, said Dr. Tom Blomquist, deputy coroner and forensic pathologist for the Lucas County Coroner’s Office.

Wood County contracts with Lucas County to conduct autopsies.

Blomquist said that Jeffrey Henning’s blood level showed 463 nanograms per milliliter for fentanyl. Toxic levels are greater than 5 ng/mL.

“I have never seen a fentanyl level this high before,” Blomquist said. “He was close to a hundredfold more that you could anticipate.”

Even those fentanyl users who have built up a tolerance rarely go above 80 ng/mL, he said.

The amount found in Jeffery Henning would have knocked him unconscious within a minute and suppressed his breathing.

Blomquist said the autopsy indicated Henning had conditions that would have killed him within a week, including infected endocarditis, blocked blood supply to his left lung, fluid buildup in the compartments around his heart, and a compromised liver.

“The fentanyl hastened it in the matter of seconds,” Blomquist said.

Upon cross examination by defense attorney Gene Murray, Blomquist reiterated that if not for the fentanyl, Jeffery Henning would have died without further medical treatment.

Murray also questioned whether Blomquist knew how long Jeffrey Henning had been addicted to fentanyl and whether he knew the deceased’s tolerance level.

Blomquist replied no to both questions.

Wood County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Dexter Phillips questioned if Blomquist had known of the deceased tolerance to fentanyl, would that have changed the cause of death.

“I have never seen a person walking and talking at over 80 (ng/mL),” Blomquist said. “He was very medically fragile. A lot of his organs were already shutting down.”

Cause of death was determined as accidental, he said.

Phillips told the jury on Jan. 6, 2021, Heather Henning drove to Toledo, sold personal items for cash, and used the money to buy fentanyl from a drug dealer.

She returned to Bowling Green and gave the drug to her ex-husband, Phillips said.

She called 911 the morning of Jan. 7 to report Jeffrey Henning was not breathing.

“Sometimes it’s the ones we love most that we hurt most,” Phillips said Monday.

Jeffrey Henning was sent to prison for 30 months in 2016 for trafficking in heroin, and Heather Henning filed for divorce. When he was released, he moved back in with her.

She had a problem with drug addiction and attended Narcotics Anonymous, Murray said. Jeffery Henning became addicted to fentanyl and brought Heather along with him, Phillips said.

“Heather Henning is not responsible, voluntarily or involuntarily, for the death of Jeffrey Henning,” he said Monday during opening statements.

The state called a former Wood County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher who took the 911 call and a Bowling Green Police Division officer who responded to the scene.

Kelsey Feasel, a former dispatcher, told the jury that most 911 callers are frantic with an immediate plea for help.

“And that was never in the call at all. There was no urgency,” she said after the 911 recording was played.

Murray, on cross examination, confirmed that Henning called 911 and followed the instructions to do CPR.

“Heather did the right thing. She called 911,” Murray said.

BGPD Ptl. Jason Broshious, who responded to the scene, said Heather Henning denied her ex-husband had overdosed and declined to follow the ambulance to the hospital, stating she had to drive to Toledo for methadone to prevent withdrawal systems.

“I’ve been doing this for 28 years and I’ve never seen a spouse not want to go to the hospital,” Broshious said.

BGPD Sgt. Andy Mulnix, when questioned, said he had learned Heather Henning had dosed her ex-husband six hours before calling 911. He also read a text thread between the Hennings in which Jeffrey was saying he was throwing up and asking when Heather would be home with the drugs she purchased in Toledo.

When the jury was released for a break Tuesday, Murray asked for an acquittal, claiming the evidence was insufficient.

Phillips replied that Henning had admitted to injecting Jeffrey with the fentanyl that killed him.

Judge Joel Kuhlman denied the motion.

Murray presented no witnesses and Henning did not take the stand.

Phillips, in his closing arguments, said Henning met all the requirements set forth in each of the three charges and went through the evidence presented that proved beyond reasonable doubt that she had provided the drug that killed her ex-husband.

No syringes or spoons were found near the body, negating the idea that Jeffrey had administered the drug himself. The logical conclusion is that Heather Henning hid the paraphernalia before first responders arrived, he said.

“This defendant knew what she had done was wrong,” Phillips said.

Murray reminded jurors that Heather Henning had called first responders and conducted CPR.

“She didn’t try to kill him involuntarily. She didn’t try to kill him voluntarily,” he said.

Murray said witness Mulnix had not read all 450-plus texts pulled from Jeffrey Hennings’ phone. He added that the state also disregarded that Jeffrey’s sister had agreed with Heather Henning to take him off life support.

Henning was returned to the jail. Her sentencing is June 17.