Attorney: Heroin clouded Folsom prostitute’s judgment

SANTA CRUZ — Defense attorneys for a high-priced prostitute from Folsom, who is accused of giving a Google executive a fatal dose of heroin on his yacht, say their client had also injected herself, clouding her judgment.

Larry Biggam, who represents 26-year-old Alix Tichelman, said after a court hearing Monday that his client didn't call for help because she panicked.

The young woman's father is Folsom technology executive Bart Tichelman.

Gerald Christensen, Tichelman's second attorney, says the death was an accident and not malicious.

Police say surveillance video shows Tichelman gather her belongings, casually step over the body of 51-year-old Forrest Hayes to finish a glass of wine, clean up a counter, then lower a blind before leaving the yacht on Nov. 23.

Tichelman has pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter, great bodily injury and heroin possession.

This story was originally published October 20, 2014 at 1:21 PM.