Tuolumne County has its first fentanyl murder case, involving a man who had a fatal overdose in October.
Stacey Renee Christ, 27, is charged with supplying the powerful opioid to Richard Bennett, 39. She pleaded not guilty during her first Superior Court appearance on Dec. 23, the Union Democrat reported.
Christ was already in the county jail following her November arrest on charges of possessing and selling fentanyl and methamphetamine. Judge Laura Krieg ordered her to remain there without bail in advance of a Jan. 2 hearing on the murder charge.
The newspaper said Bennett was a Sonora resident and Christ is a transient in the area. It did not detail how and where he obtained the drug. He was found dead on the morning of Oct. 10 from acute fentanyl poisoning, a coroner’s report said.
His family asked for help with funeral and other expenses in an Oct. 12 appeal on GoFundMe . “Richard Jimmie Bennett II (RJ) has been relieved from his pain here on earth,” the post said. “It was sudden and tragic.”