AUBURN, Calif. — The trial for 20-year-old Carson Schewe got underway Tuesday in Placer County. It marks the county’s first fentanyl murder trial.
It was an emotional day in court as Kade Webb’s family members and those who support them heard the opening arguments presented by the prosecution and defense.
Laura Collanton attended the trial to show her support because she also had a son who died from fentanyl poisoning in 2020.
"I love my kids and I love all the other kids that I've come to know that have lost their lives,” she said. “I just don't want this for another single person. It's so important."
Schewe is charged with murder after Webb’s death by fentanyl poisoning in Dec. 2021.
Prosecutors gave an overview of what they believe happened. They said Webb was struggling with addiction and had been to rehab twice before his death.
On his last day alive, prosecutors say Webb returned from rehab, left to get a haircut and got in an Uber. He was found dead later that night in the bathroom of a Safeway. Snapchat conversations show Webb asked Schewe for pills.
The defense only took a few minutes for its opening argument. They asked the jury to consider three things as they listened to evidence in the case: liability, logic and science. They also questioned if there was malice involved.
The first witness called to the stand was Kade’s father, Kurt. He recalled being worried when his son didn’t come back after leaving.
The family declined to speak on camera so as to not disrupt the ongoing proceedings, but Collanton tells ABC10 she wants this trial to set an example.
"I'm hoping that it'll send a message to the public that this is not tolerated. This is not OK. You can't sell a drug and deceive people to death,” she said.
She says Placer County is taking the necessary steps to tackle the fentanyl crisis. She hopes it sends a message to others.
"They're setting precedent all over the state and hopefully the country, and I hope everybody's listening and learning and will follow their example,” she said.
The trial will break Wednesday and resume Thursday morning when other witnesses, including doctors, are expected to take the stand.
While Schewe’s fentanyl murder jury trial is a first in Placer County, it’s not the first conviction they’ve returned for murder in a fentanyl death.
Nathaniel Cabacungan was convicted of murder in July 2023 after the death of a 15-year-old girl. He was the first person in the state of California to be convicted of murder in a fentanyl death. He received 15 years to life in prison.
If you or a loved one are battling addiction, there is help. Call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hotline at 1-800-662-4357. It offers free, confidential, 247/7/365 referral and information services for those facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
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