A 26-year-old man from Texas has been arrested and charged with murder after allegedly causing the overdose death of a 24-year-old woman by giving her a fatal dose of fentanyl. Eric Sembera was taken into custody and charged with one count of fentanyl murder by delivery in connection with the death of Erica Russell.
According to court documents, the incident unfolded on the morning of August 4, when police were asked to conduct a welfare check on Russell at her apartment in Tomball, Texas. The request was made after a caller reported that Russell had not been answering her phone. Police soon discovered that Russell had gone out with Sembera on the night of August 2 and failed to show up for work the following day. A co-worker informed investigators that Russell had overdosed on fentanyl in the early hours of August 3 and had been taken to HCA Houston Health Care in Tomball for treatment.
Sembera, who accompanied Russell to the hospital, was described by police as a “known narcotics user.” He later spoke with authorities and told them that after they had left the emergency room, he returned Russell to her apartment in the early hours of August 3.
In his statement to the police, Sembera explained that after work on the night of August 2, he, Russell, and another female co-worker had been driving to a bar. During the drive, he told Russell that he had previously struggled with an addiction to OxyContin. Sembera then revealed that he did a “bump” of a white powder narcotic and offered some to Russell, who hesitated before agreeing to try it. According to Sembera’s account, he used the term “straight fentanyl” to describe the substance he gave her, which was in both “rock and powder” form.
After they left the bar at around 2 a.m., Sembera and Russell returned to her apartment, where they engaged in sexual intercourse. He then said that they went to his car, at which point Russell suddenly stopped talking and began nodding off. Sembera soon realized that she had become unresponsive. Panicking, he performed CPR before rushing her to the emergency room.
At the hospital, Russell was treated for what appeared to be a fentanyl overdose. She was given an IV, and when she regained consciousness, she reportedly told the medical staff that she no longer wanted to be there. Russell allegedly asked the doctors if she could leave, and after a while, she removed the IV from her arm and left the hospital.
Sembera then said he dropped Russell back off at her apartment and went home. He also confessed that he regularly smokes fentanyl two to three times a day with his live-in girlfriend. Police later found white rocks and powder in Sembera’s car that they believed to be fentanyl.
In response to the charges, Sembera’s defense attorney, Mark Thering, argued that the case should not be viewed as a crime. He claimed that the incident was a tragic accident rather than intentional wrongdoing. Thering also stated that his client has struggled with addiction and is currently undergoing inpatient therapy for the issue, having been diagnosed with an addiction disorder.
Sembera’s arrest and the charges against him have drawn attention to the dangers of fentanyl and its increasing role in overdose deaths across the United States. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has become a leading cause of drug-related fatalities, often contributing to unintentional deaths when individuals unknowingly ingest the substance. Despite the rise in fentanyl overdoses, the case against Sembera is an example of the legal consequences faced by individuals accused of delivering fatal doses of the drug, even if the overdose is not premeditated.
This tragic event highlights the deadly nature of fentanyl and the significant risks involved in using the substance, particularly in cases where individuals may not be fully aware of its potency. As the case progresses, authorities and the public will continue to examine the role of fentanyl in overdose deaths and the legal ramifications of its distribution.
