Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
ME Confirms Cocaine Overdose In Death Of LI Doctor Found In Chelsea Doorway
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 20, 2015
Modified Oct 20, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 20, 2015
Modified Oct 20, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The autopsy results are in for the Long Island dermatologist who was left for dead in a Chelsea apartment building vestibule. The NYC Medical Examiner's Office said that Kiersten Cerveny, 38, died of "acute cocaine and alcohol intoxication."
Cerveny, a married mother of three who lived in Manhasset, was found in the doorway of 221 West 16th Street on the morning of October 4th. She had spent the previous night out with girlfriends at a downtown Manhattan hotel before going to a bar on the Lower East Side. Around 2 a.m., she and her friends met up with Marc Henry Johnson, 51, a TV producer, and later left the bar with Johnson, going to the West 16th Street building at 4:23 a.m. where James Holder lives.
At some point early Sunday morning, Holder and Johnson were seen on videotape carrying an "incapacitated" Cerveny down the stairs and "plac[ing] her in the lobby of the building." Around 8:30 a.m., Johnson allegedly called 911 to say there was an unconscious woman in the lobby, then fleeing when police arrived. Cerveny, who was fully clothed, died at Lenox Hill Hospital Annex.
Police had suspected an overdose and Holder is a suspected drug dealer (his nickname is "Pepsi"). A friend of Cerveny's told the Post that she wasn't a drug addict, "She was a bit of a happy drunk, and every blue moon she would go out and tie one on, but she was a good girl... Once she had the second drink, she didn’t make the best choices, and it would be up to us to make sure she got home safe."
Cerveny, who grew up in NJ and won the "America's Junior Miss" pageant, practiced dermatology in Brooklyn and Manhattan. She and her husband had three young children. A small funeral was held for her and the funeral home says, "A fund will be established for the college education of Kiersten's three beautiful children."
Tagged
alcohol ingestion
cocaine
kiersten cerveny
marc johnson
overdose
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Gatorade recall affects drinks sold in New York and New Jersey
More than 122,000 cases are being recalled over undeclared food dyes.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 5, 2026 at 4:36 p.m. ET
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
By
Caroline Lewis
News
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYPD detective forced to retire after false statements in Brooklyn investigation
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani faces pressure to forge ahead with plan to fix polluting South Bronx market
By
Elizabeth Kim
Dominican man who shot border patrol officer in NYC sentenced to 15 years in prison
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .