Glendale drug overdose death, reckless homicide charge filed
Joshua Oberst
GLENDALE, Wis. - A West Milwaukee man is charged with first-degree reckless homicide in a 2023 drug overdose death.
Prosecutors accuse 22-year-old Joshua Oberst of selling cocaine to the victim the night before he was found dead.
Glendale police were called to an apartment on Marne Avenue, just northwest of Green Bay and Silver Spring, on Dec. 11, 2023. The victim was found dead in his bathroom, and prosecutors said an autopsy found he died of acute cocaine toxicity.
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A woman told police she knew the victim had used cocaine "a few times," a criminal complaint states, but she didn't know where he got it.
Police were able to access the victim's phone, which showed an Instagram message conversation with a person later identified as Oberst. The complaint states the two organized a drug deal the day before the victim was found dead. A detective then used the victim's phone and Instagram account to organize another drug deal.
The complaint states the detective later received a message "here" and saw a red BMW pull up to the agreed upon location. The detective got the BMW's license plate number, and officers then attempted a traffic stop – but the BMW fled and got away.
Detectives used a number of different sources – including Instagram and phone records – to identify Oberst as the person the victim had messaged. The complaint states it was then discovered that Oberst had witnessed a robbery and reported it to Milwaukee police, providing the same phone number and his address.
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Milwaukee police also arrested Oberst in March 2024 for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, according to the complaint. Two cellphones were seized as evidence, and Glendale police got a warrant to search them to find more information related to the case.
Oberst made his initial court appearance on Aug. 7. His cash bond was set at $25,000.