Placer County man convicted of murder in 2023 fentanyl overdose

A Placer County jury has convicted a 44-year-old man of second-degree murder in connection with a fentanyl-related death that happened in July 2023, officials said.

The Placer County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday that Brandon Garner's conviction stemmed from the death of a local man who overdosed after allegedly receiving fentanyl from Garner. Garner is scheduled to be sentenced on March 23 at the Auburn courthouse.

Prosecutors said Garner's conviction marked the county's fourth murder conviction tied to fentanyl distribution. The first such conviction in the county occurred in December 2024 and stemmed from the overdose death of Roseville resident Kade Webb, cousin to San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb.

Garner's arrest followed an investigation by the Placer Special Investigations Unit, a multi-agency task force that includes officials from the county Sheriff's Office, county Probation Department, California Department of Justice, and police departments from Roseville, Rocklin, and Auburn.