What is Space Dust? Family of nurse Krystal Talavera, 39, who died after taking 'legal high' Kratom wins $11M suit
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: Krystal Talavera, a 39-year-old nurse and mother-of-four, reportedly collapsed and died after taking "legal high" Kratom or Space Dust back in 2021. More recently, her family was awared $11 million after they won a wrongful death federal lawsuit against the manufacturer of the herbal substance. According to the Daily Mail, Biagio Vultaggio, the father of her youngest child, saw Talavera lying face down in the kitchen of her family's $640K home in Palm Beach, Florida.
Her body was reportedly discovered next to her one-year-old son and an open bag of Space Dust, a synthetic drug made from Kratom, as per the publication. Talavera was reportedly rushed to the hospital but failed to survive. The Palm Beach County coroner ruled "acute mitragynine intoxication" as the official cause of her death. Talavera's eldest son, Devin Filippelli, then sued Kratom distributor Grow LLC over his mother's death.
What is known about Space Dust?
Space Dust is reportedly a synthetic drug that is created from the herbal substance called Kratom. As per a lawsuit filed by Talavera's family, Space Dust is commonly sold as a supplement in US stores, the Daily Mail reported. According to the Food and Drug Administration, Kratom is sold across the US in offline stores as well as online sites. As of 2021, around 1.7 million Americans 12 years and older were allegedly reported to be Kratom users.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reportedly believes that Kratom can produce stimulant effects in smaller doses, the Daily Mail noted. The lawsuit filed by Talavera's family allegedly stated that a legal high dose of the substance is "more dangerous than the ordinary consumer would reasonably expect" and claimed that the distributor was negligent in selling its products.
However, the Food and Drug Administration reportedly says that Kratom is not "appropriate for use as a dietary conventional supplement" nor is it sold as a prescription or over-the-counter drug.
Who was Krystal Talavera?
Talavera was a registered nurse at Trustbridge Hospice Care in West Palm Beach and a proud mother to four children who tragically died from "acute mitragynine intoxication" on June 20, 2021. She was reportedly preparing a Father's Day special breakfast for her partner before collapsing and dying in the kitchen of her family's Florida home. She was reportedly found beside her one-year-old son and an open bag of Space Dust before being taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
As per the Daily Mail, Talavera just received a promotion at her work shortly before her tragic death at 39. During the lawsuit hearing, her eldest son, Filipelli told the court that his mother died the day after his high school graduation while he was getting ready to attend the University of Florida. He called Talavera the "nucleus of the family" and said she was the "person that brought everyone together."
"I am grateful for the judge's decision, but no amount of money will bring my mom back or numb my pain," Filipelli told McClatchy News after the verdict of the lawsuit. Talavera's former husband, Benny Flores, added that their two young sons are still suffering emotionally as their 6-year-old child often asks "when his mother is coming back." A GoFundMe launched in the wake of Talavera's death, dubbed her an "amazing" woman with a "big heart."
The fundraiser managed to raise over $7,500 in 2021 to fund the expense of Talavera's funeral, the Daily Mail reported. The GoFundMe reportedly read, "We will always remember her laugh, her smile, and her big heart. She leaves behind an amazing legacy of friendships and family that will forever honor her. Krystal… we love you more than life itself. We will always cherish the time we had with you and we will forever keep you in our prayers."
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A look into Krystal Talavera's wrongful death lawsuit
Talavera's son Filippelli reportedly sued Grow LLC in the US District Court of the Southern District of Florida in November. The wrongful death lawsuit stated that Talavera regularly purchased Kratom products from the company after being introduced to the synthetic drug by her friends several years before her death. It claimed that she purchased it from The Kratom Distro online and believed it was "a safe and natural dietary supplement" as marketed by the company.
The lawsuit alleged that mitragynine produces "opioid-like effects" when consumed in high concentrations and can cause "respiratory failure." It further argued that Grow LLC, owned by Sean Harder, sold their Kratom products "without any warning regarding instructions for use." Filippelli, 21, currently warns people about the dangers of the drug, the outlet mentioned.
On July 27, US District Judge Donald Middlebrooks ruled that Grow LLC should pay Talavera's family $11,642,895 in damages. The breakdown of the amount was revealed as $4,642,895.70 for Talavera's estate, $1 million for Filippelli, and $2 million for her other three children. "There is of course no amount of money that will make up for the pain and suffering that Ms. Talavera's children are enduring because of their mother's death," Judge Middlebrooks stated during the ruling.
"The law nonetheless recognizes that the defendant must pay something, however inadequate," he added. Attorney Tamara Williams also issued a statement, saying, "This $11-million-dollar judgment should be a wakeup call to the Kratom industry about this dangerous and unregulated substance. There are families across the country who know firsthand that Kratom is addictive and can be deadly."