A Brick Township man has been charged in connection with the drug-related death of a 27-year-old woman earlier this year, authorities announced.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, 31-year-old Roderick Seward was charged on June 17 with Strict Liability Drug-Induced Death, Distribution of Cocaine, and Possession of Cocaine following a months-long investigation into the woman’s death.
Police responded to a Brick Township residence on the morning of January 26, 2026, after receiving a report of an unresponsive female. Officers arrived to find the 27-year-old woman deceased from what was believed to be a drug overdose.
An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Narcotics Strike Force, Brick Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined that Seward had allegedly supplied cocaine to the victim.
Authorities said toxicology results recently received by investigators confirmed the presence of cocaine in the victim’s system. The Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office subsequently ruled that the cocaine was the cause of death.
Based on those findings, Seward was charged and surrendered to Brick Township Police on June 17. He was taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains pending a detention hearing.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer praised the multiple agencies involved for their collaborative efforts throughout the investigation.
As with all criminal cases, the charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
