Man drugged women at a bar and overdosed them home, but then his mother who “held a position of influence” within the police stepped in

A mother, former cop, used the influence she had in the police department to save her son, convicted of killing two women, of serving prison time. The police department now faces lawsuit after new evidence was presented by the victims’ families.

According to Insider, the incidents took place in 2020 and 2021. M. Ebong was then accused of drugging two women after setting a meeting at a local bar, then luring them home and fatally overdosing them. The victims in these separate but very similar incidents were identified as Sheena West, who died in November 2020, and Kelsey Paton, who was found dead in July 2021.

Last year, the Virginia man was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in both cases thus avoiding prison time. But victims’ families continue to seek proper justice for their beloved ones and they have recently filed new lawsuit.

Kathy Paton has initiated a new lawsuit against the City of Norfolk, claiming that her daughter’s tragic death could have been avoided if there had been a proper investigation into West’s death, which occurred just months prior. In the lawsuit, she contends that Ebong’s mother had significant sway within the police department, an influence allegedly used to protect Ebong and effectively “destroyed, concealed, and failed to preserve evidence” related to the crime.

Furthermore, the lawsuit asserts that the actions of the police department amount to obstruction of justice. It goes on to detail that the Norfolk Police Department’s actions allowed Ebong to continue his pattern of drugging women at bars and sometimes killing them via overdoses.

West’s death in Ebong’s apartment was initially ruled an “accidental overdose” by local authorities, with no suspicion of foul play, based on media reports at the time. However, a similar event occurred less than a year later when Paton was found deceased from a drug overdose at the same apartment. Both families were firm that neither woman was involved with drugs prior the meeting Ebong.

Legal documents reveal that Ebong was first charged with second-degree murder in the deaths of both women but was eventually found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. The lawsuit attributes this lesser conviction to the Norfolk police’s failure to maintain evidence that might have led to a more severe charge.

A spokesperson for the City of Norfolk has dismissed these allegations. They said that the city is “aware” of Paton’s lawsuit but has not yet received formal notice.

“While the City sympathizes with the Paton family, it denies that NPD obstructed justice and it will defend the lawsuit accordingly,” the statement said.

The lawsuit filed against the City of Norfolk provides details about M. Reid, Ebong’s mother, who served as a civilian employee “in various administrative positions” within the Norfolk Police Department for a 27-year span before retiring in March 2022. Efforts to reach Reid for a comment were not immediately successful.

The legal complaint further alleges that nine months following West’s death, Ebong targeted Paton at a local establishment, drugging her and taking her to his residence against her will. According to the lawsuit, Ebong caused bruises on Paton’s thighs and killed her through an overdose, along with inflicting blunt force trauma to her head.

The lawsuit claims that the situation surrounding Paton’s death mirrored West’s earlier demise. Ebong reported Paton’s death to the police as an “overdose,” and the lawsuit contends that his mother, Reid, subsequently hindered officers from interrogating him or preserving critical evidence. Astonishingly, the Norfolk officers even allowed Ebong to remove Paton’s body from his residence, the lawsuit states.

Additionally, the lawsuit emphasizes that the Norfolk police’s failures included the loss of specific pieces of evidence, such as Paton’s purse, which Ebong alleged contained drugs, and any potential object that might have been used to cause the blunt force trauma to Paton’s head.

“The Norfolk Police Department shockingly failed to recognize that Ebong had previously called in the overdose of West and unceremoniously sent Kelsey Paton’s body to the medical examiner without recognizing the pattern of behavior and without preserving the evidence at the scene of her death,” the lawsuit said.