A 40-year-old Calgary man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the fatal overdose of a 16-year-old girl, marking the first time the Calgary Police Service has laid such a charge in a drug-related death.
Incident details
According to police, on Nov. 27, 2025, Jordynn Atkins-Materi and another 16-year-old girl met a man described as an acquaintance in downtown Calgary. The three then went to the man's residence in the 8300 block of Centre Street N.E., where police believe drugs were consumed. The next morning at approximately 7:25 a.m., Steve Phillip Gilbert Collins, 40, discovered Atkins-Materi unconscious and called 911. Despite life-saving efforts, she could not be revived.
Cause of death and charges
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as “toxic effects of carfentanil” and confirmed Atkins-Materi’s identity. Following an investigation by the Drug Investigations for Safer Communities (DISC) Team and consultation with the Crown prosecutor, charges against Collins were deemed warranted. He was taken into custody on June 25 and is scheduled to appear in court on July 6.
“This is a heartbreaking loss, and we extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family,” said Staff Sgt. Sean Gregson of the CPS Undercover Operations Unit in a media release on Friday. “Illicit drugs continue to have a devastating impact, particularly on vulnerable individuals in our community. This is exactly why the Drug Investigations for Safer Communities (DISC) Team was created — to ensure every overdose is thoroughly investigated and to target those responsible for trafficking these dangerous substances.”
New investigative approach
The charge follows changes in how Calgary police investigate fatal overdoses. In 2023, CPS launched its OverDOSE pilot project, assigning dedicated drug investigators to overdose and drug-related deaths. The initiative was formalized in 2025 with the creation of the DISC Team, which focuses on identifying and investigating people suspected of trafficking drugs linked to overdose deaths, as well as the online sale of illicit substances. The DISC Team works alongside the Calgary Police Service’s Drug Undercover Street Team (DUST) during investigations.
Police urge anyone with information about drug trafficking in Calgary to contact the non-emergent line at 403-266-1234 or submit an anonymous tip via Crime Stoppers.
