By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


Three people are now facing a potential life prison sentence for a 2017 overdose death of a Livingston County woman.

Alisha Degroot of Fowlerville was found deceased by Michigan State Police on March 6th of 2017 by what was later determined to have been an overdose of heroin laced with fentanyl. The responding trooper testified that he interviewed 28-year-old Joshua Riley Goode of Tiffin, Ohio, who admitted to purchasing the heroin the day before in Detroit and providing it to Degroot. That led to charges being filed against Goode in 2019 of drug delivery causing death.

Recently, the Livingston County Prosecutor’s Office also filed similar charges against 33-year-old Stephen Michael Shepherd of East Lansing and 31-year-old Lauren Christine Field of Howell. Authorities have yet to indicate why they were charged along with Goode.

A probable cause conference for Field is set for Tuesday, February 2nd, while both she and Shepherd have an exam scheduled for February 9th. They are charged as fourth-time habitual offenders, which could enhance their sentence upon conviction. Goode, meanwhile, has a final settlement conference on his charge scheduled for next Friday, February 5th.