Sheriff makes first arrest in fentanyl death 'cold case'

Editor's note: Additional information about the defendant's court appearance was added Wednesday, Jan. 29. In a groundbreaking case, the Placer County Sheriff's Office made the first-ever cold-case fentanyl homicide arrest in the state. On Thursday, Jan. 23, Placer County Sheriff's detectives arrested 29-year-old Christopher Williams for homicide in the fentanyl poisoning death of 20-year-old Spencer Newsom, who was found dead in his Roseville apartment on Sept. 21, 2020. His cause of death at the time was determined to be fentanyl poisoning. According to investigation reports, Newsom bought what he thought was a Xanax pill from Williams through the Snapchat app. Newsom had been accepted to the Fire Academy and was excited to begin that new chapter in his life. Williams was arrested at his home in Citrus Heights following a long, comprehensive investigation by Placer Opioid Response Team detectives and the Placer Sheriff Special Operations Unit. Williams was booked into the Sacramento County Jail for homicide. Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said the arrest happened because investigators never gave up on finding justice for Newsom. "I am incredibly proud of our detectives' commitment to bringing the person responsible for Spencer's death to justice," Woo said in a statement. "Let this serve as a clear message: we will not tolerate the sale of this deadly drug in our county." This case was considered "cold" because so much time has gone by, but detectives were unrelenting in their desire to make an arrest. Placer County officials say seeking justice won't bring back the life lost, but their hope is to provide some closure for those who will never get to hug Newsom again. Williams appeared in court Wednesday, Jan. 29, where a public defender was appointed to represent him, and the Placer County District Attorney's Office filed formal murder charges against him for the death of Newsom. The hearing was continued, and the next hearing will be Feb. 20 at 8:30 a.m. at the Placer County Superior Court in Roseville in Department 20. Williams will be held at the Placer County jail without bail. Williams' murder charge is the sixth of its kind filed by the Placer County District Attorney's Office in response to fentanyl poisonings.