The Newest Murder Weapon : Fentanyl

This course will be focused on fentanyl overdose death investigations for possible homicide charging. We will discuss crime scene integrity, evidence collection, search warrants, and other investigative techniques to be utilized amongst many other areas. This class will provide an overview of the law of homicide as applied to fentanyl overdose cases and what evidence is necessary for possible murder charges. We will address common investigative and other legal issues that may arise and how best to avoid them as you build your case. This training will be presented by Senior Deputy DA Kendall T. Reynolds and Commander Mike Johns of the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.

Course Topics:

• Fentanyl: What is it? Symptoms of an OD
• Theories of Murder
• How to Investigate Fentanyl Dealers for Murder
• Crime Scene Integrity
• Building a Knowledge Case
• Other Policy Consideration

Instructor:

Commander Mike Johns began his law enforcement career with the Lemoore Police Department in 2012. During his time with Lemoore, he was assigned as a patrol officer, Field Training Officer, Recruit Training Officer, operator with the Central Valley Regional S.W.A.T. team, and Detective assigned to the Kings County Narcotic Task Force. He was hired as a Senior Investigator with the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office in 2018. He was assigned as a Task Force Agent with the Central Valley HIDTA/HIIT team from 2019 through 2022. Mike is currently the Commander of the Major Crimes – Homicide Division within the Bureau of Investigations for the District Attorney’s Office. Mike has been the affiant of electronic wiretap investigations targeting drug trafficking organizations and has testified as a narcotic expert in the counties of Fresno, Kings, and Tulare.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Kendall T. Reynolds has been a prosecutor since 2012, and is currently assigned to the Homicide Unit. SDDA Reynolds is a former Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration where he investigated Transnational Drug Trafficking Organizations for violations of state and federal law. SDDA Reynolds has been assigned to many units within the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, including to Fresno County’s Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) where SDDA Reynolds prosecuted some of the County’s most violent gang members. In addition, he has reviewed numerous search warrants, consulted on numerous investigations, implemented necessary changes after passage of AB 333, and frequently presents to members of law enforcement on issues related to search and seizure and gang law. He has taught for the Fresno Police Department’s Detective School, and has been a speaker for the California Gang Investigator Association’s (CGIA) Annual Conference. In 2022, SDDA Reynolds and Commander Mike Johns were responsible for investigating and filing Fresno County’s first homicide case related to a fentanyl overdose death. Since then, both have attended numerous conferences as attendees as well as speakers on the issue of investigating fentanyl dealers for murder.

This class is co-sponsored with the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office courtesy of District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp and is eligible for 8 hours of General MCLE

Register: www.cnoaregionaltraining.org
Questions/Payment arrangements: cnoaregion7@gmail.com
Cost: $40 CNOA members/$60 non-members/Free with CNOA Class Certificate
Limited seats available – pay in advance to guarantee your seat
Venmo: CNOAregion-7
To pay by credit card or make arrangements for agency check, email cnoaregion7@gmail.com

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