Michael Meyden, Lake Oswego, Oregon dad accused of spiking his daughter’s pre-teen friends with benzodiazepine during sleepover. Drugs are notorious amongst date r*pe victims.
‘Mom please pick me up! Please. Please pick up. Please!!’ An Oregon father hosting his 12 year old daughter’s sleepover is accused of having drugged the girl’s pre-teen friends, as one of them desperately texted her mother pleading for her to come over immediately and collect her.
Michael Meyden, 57, who turned himself into police last week is accused of drugging three 12-year-old girls at a 4 person sleepover last summer at his Lake Oswego residence.
According to a press release, 57-year-old Meyden was indicted for the following:
Insidious use of benzodiazepine drugs
- 3 counts of Causing Another to Ingest a Controlled Substance
- 3 counts of Application of a Schedule-4 Controlled Substance to Another
- 3 counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance to a Mino
A regard of the father’s LinkedIn profile (since deleted) listed him as working as a senior director of human resources.
An investigation into the alleged drugging started on Aug. 26, when Lake Oswego police were called to the Randall Children’s Hospital emergency room, where the three girls tested positive for having ingested benzodiazepine.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, benzodiazepines are ‘depressants that produce sedation and hypnosis, relieve anxiety and muscle spasms, and reduce seizures.’
They are commonly known as benzos and downers and are used to treat insomnia and panic attacks.
‘Benzodiazepines slow down the central nervous system and may cause sleepiness and relaxed mood,’ states the DEA’s website. ‘Benzodiazepines are associated with amnesia, hostility, irritability, and vivid or disturbing dreams.’
Father insisted one of the girl victims drink her mango smoothie after initially resisting
The benzodiazepine was given to the three girls through mango smoothies Meyden is accused of lacing and serving to them, according to Oregonian/Oregon Live.
All four girls were each given two servings of the mango smoothie.
At one point one of the victims refused to consume the beverage only for the father to make a new batch and insisting the girl drink it.
It remained unclear why the parent had sought to drug the preteens.
Leading up to the alleged drugging, Meyden according to documents, ‘was highly involved in the girls’ activities, even taking them to get their nails done and picked up pizza for dinner.’
After the mango smoothie serving, the girls told police Meyden repeatedly came to the basement where they were staying and, watching them intently as they slept, allegedly put a finger under one of the girl’s noses to seemingly check if she was breathing.
Betrayal of trust
At one point, Meyden left the room, with one of the girls who had managed to stay awake texting her mother at 2am to come and pick her up immediately.
Read the text, ‘Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I don’t feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!!’
The girls told police they kept their guard up while waiting for a trusted adult to arrive. Eventually, all three girls’ parents picked them up and confronted Meyden at his home around 3 a.m.
According to the documents, Meyden resisted allowing the parents to take their daughters home by saying they were sleeping. The parents insisted and ended up taking the girls to the hospital. While there, police observed at least one girl who struggled to walk up to 12 hours after the alleged drugging.
She reportedly ‘walked slowly and used the assistance of her mother for balance, her eyelids were heavy, and she spoke slowly.’ She added she had never felt this kind of sleepiness before.
Meyden and his wife filed for divorce in 2023, per the Oregonian. The dad had been living in Lake Oswego at the time of the sleepover but now lives in an RV park in Vancouver. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has dual citizenship in the United States and Canada.
Upon turned himself to police on Tuesday Feb. 28, the parent was booked into the Clackamas County Jail before posting $50,000 bond and being released.
The father has since pled not guilty to the charges against him.
The man’s attorney, Mark Cogan, in a media release said he had not reviewed the evidence in this case and advised people not to pass judgment. ‘Mr. Meyden is presumed innocent and we hope that people will reserve judgment until all of the facts and circumstances are known,’ Cogan said.
