Two people who are accused of causing the death of their friend in Pacific Beach by selling him pills containing fentanyl pleaded not guilty on Dec. 17, and a judge set a Feb. 5 trial date.
Connor Gerhart, 31, was found dead in his home by a family friend on June 1, 2023. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) discovered the people who sold him the drugs were trying to reach him to sell him more and didn’t know he had died.
“Connor Gerhart is gone too soon,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis. “His life was stolen by careless drug dealers who chose money over life.”
Micah Rodgers Seau, 32, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and furnishing fentanyl while Sheri Marie Cavanaugh, 59, is charged with only furnishing fentanyl.
A murder charge was filed against both defendants in June, but San Diego Superior Court Judge Robert Amador dismissed the murder charges in a preliminary hearing. Amador reduced the murder charge to involuntary manslaughter for Seau.
Because the murder charges were dropped, bail was also lowered to $50,000 for both defendants. Both Seau and Cavanaugh remain free on a $50,000 bond and with GPS monitoring devices along with an order to wear a drug patch.
On Tuesday, Cavanaugh’s attorney, Al Arena, mentioned to Judge Roderick Shelton that his client pays $300 a month to wear a GPS device on her. Cavanaugh volunteered to the judge she now attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings.
“These defendants were aware of the dangers of the illegal drugs they were selling and in a callous indifference to the victim’s overdose death, conspired to continue dealing this poison in our community,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan in a statement.
Gerhart graduated from La Jolla Country Day High School and worked as a civil engineer. He is survived by his wife, Christina Jensen, his parents, Jane and Erik Frey, and others.
Gerhart’s obituary said he struggled with opioid addiction related to chronic pain from injuries and surgeries and that he died from an accidental fentanyl overdose.
The obituary also included this warning: “Just one pill can kill,” and added that “may his tragic death significantly heighten awareness of this epidemic and serve as a catalyst for families and friends of those suffering from addiction to have the difficult but necessary conversation regarding risks, treatment, and support.”
