California man charged with second-degree murder after woman dies from overdose
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A California man is facing multiple charges after a woman died from fentanyl toxicity according to the Boone County Medical Examiner’s office.
A Cole County prosecutor has charged Travis Jaegers with second-degree murder, delivery of a controlled substance and two counts of armed criminal action.
Jefferson City police responded to the suspected drug overdose of Terri Sutherland on Jan. 30, 2021, at a residence on the 800 block of Nelson Drive.
According to the probable cause statement, police found Sutherland in a bathroom with a used hypodermic needle, a burnt spoon with residue and a small plastic baggy that had a white powder in it near the body. The Missouri State Highway Patrol laboratory identified the powder as fentanyl.
After an autopsy by the Boone County Medical Examiner’s Office, Dr. Keith Norton identified the cause of death as fentanyl in her blood; she had 22 ng/ML in her blood while as little as 3 ng/ML could cause death.
During the investigation into the death, police identified Jaegers and another woman as being the last people to be in contact with Sutherland on the phone. Sutherland’s phone also showed a purchase at an area Walgreens. Police identified Jaegers from surveillance footage at Walgreens purchasing hypodermic needles with Sutherland’s debit card, according to the probable cause statement.
Police arrested Jaegers and the other woman as part of the investigation on March 29, 2021.
The woman told police after a Miranda warning that she and Jaegers went to Sutherland’s residence and sold her heroin, according to the probable cause statement.
Jaegers is not currently in custody. According to online court records, a warrant has been issued for Jaegers arrest and he is considered a danger to the community so he will not have a bond issued.
