Suspected drug dealer charged with murder in 2023 fentanyl overdose death in Morgan Hill
A San Jose man is being charged in the death of a woman who overdosed on fentanyl last year and died, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.
Benjamin Williams, 34, is being charged with one count of murder and one felony count of drug sales after Hope Warrick, 26, was found dead in her home in Morgan Hill on Feb. 13, 2023. Her body was discovered in her studio apartment by her mother.
Police allege that Williams sold Warrick cocaine that was secretly laced with fentanyl. At Warrick's apartment, detectives found cocaine mixed with fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and her cellphone.
A search warrant for the phone allegedly revealed messages between Warrick and Williams the night before her death, indicating that Williams allegedly sold her what she believed was cocaine and "added something extra in for her, but did not specify which substance," the sheriff's office said.
Records also show that Warrick did a Google search for "how to tell if there is fentanyl (sic) in something."
Williams has previously worked as a pharmacy tech at Walgreens, but was de-certified for stealing narcotics, the sheriff's office said.
Police allege they found pictures and text messages regarding fentanyl sales and use on his cellphone.
The county medical examiner determined that Warrick died from cocaine, amphetamine and fentanyl.
Police allege that Williams knowingly provided Warrick with the deadly drug "for illegal personal monetary gain."