> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Teenager arrested for Maran murder committed suicide - URL: https://www.smdp.com/teenager-arrested-for-maran-murder-committed-suicide/ - Published: 2002-02-02T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-22T23:59:58.000Z - Author: Carolyn Sackariason - Tags: Crime, Westwood, #archive-import *Anti-depressant found in supect’s body* The teenager arrested for murdering a 15-year-old Santa Monica High School sophomore died of an overdose while she was being interrogated by police, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s said Friday. According to the toxicology report, 17-year-old Katrina Sarkissian committed suicide by ingesting nortriptyline intoxication. The drug also is known as “Pamelor.” Sarkissian was picked up by police on a murder warrant Nov. 18, the day after Deanna Maran was stabbed at a party in Westwood. But Sarkissian collapsed during police questioning and died a few hours later. Sources had told the Daily Press that Sarkissian could have taken sleeping pills to possibly avoid the murder charges brought against her. Sarkissian’s 15-year-old half-sister and a Santa Monica High School senior may be charged in connection with Maran’s murder. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office is still determining if there is enough evidence to bring charges against the two teenagers. A determination is expected next week. The family of the 15-year-old has hired a defense attorney, sources said. The tragedy began after Maran found the 15-year-old breaking potted plants behind the house where the party was held. Maran told her to stop, which started a fight. Partygoers broke up the confrontation but another one ensued after Sarkissian and her friends arrived at the party. According to witnesses, Maran allegedly was jumped by Sarkissian, her half-sister and the Santa Monica high school senior. They allegedly pinned Maran down to the ground, beat her and stabbed her with a knife. Sarkissian is believed to have been the one who stabbed Maran. Throughout the fight, dozens of people watched as Maran was kicked and punched, but nobody came to her aid— even when she stood up, clutched her chest, gasped for air and collapsed. Instead of calling an ambulance, Maran’s friends drove her to Santa Monica Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 12:15 a.m. on Nov. 18. Sarkissian and the 15-year-old were arrested about 14 hours later. Sarkissian was rushed to UCLA Medical Center after she collapsed during the police interview and died at 5:26 p.m., police said. It’s unclear where Sarkissian obtained the drug, which is a narcotic widely used to treat depression. It also is prescribed for chronic skin disorders, migraine headaches, panic disorder, arthritis and bedwetting, among other ailments. A normal dosage is about 75 milligrams a day, which could be between one and three pills daily, said Dr. Mintz, a Santa Monica physician. He added that the drug’s highest concentration level is reached seven to eight hours after taking it. “It works on the seratonin part of the brain and has a therapeutic quality to it,” he said. “It’s possible to reasonably speculate that she had took the drugs hours before she died. “Like any drug, if you take too much of it, you can die,” he added. “It doesn’t stand out as a suicide drug but she may have had a pile of these things and threw them down her throat.” > “It doesn’t stand out as a suicide drug but she may have had a pile of these things and threw them down her throat.” — — DR. MINTZ Santa Monica physician The side effects of the drug include seizures, which Sarkissian had while in police custody. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 2, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/020202.pdf?ref=smdp.com)