Investigative Update: Five Fentanyl-Related Fatalities in Commerce City on February 20, 2022
Brighton, CO —Today, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and District Attorney Brian Mason are providing an update on the investigation into the five fentanyl-related deaths that occurred in Commerce City on Sunday, February 20, 2022, at the Northrange Apartments along 104th Avenue.
"On February 20, 2022, our community became the latest example of the unrelenting toll fentanyl is taking on communities across the country. That night five of our residents died from fentanyl poisoning in one of the largest mass incidents of this sort in the United States.
In the aftermath of these tragic deaths, law enforcement agencies from across the 17th Judicial District, our region, and our state banded together to investigate and seek out the source of the drugs that led to this horrific event.
The Commerce City Police Department, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, the North Metro Drug Task Force, and members of my team from the District Attorney's Office followed numerous leads, reviewed surveillance video, conducted countless interviews, obtained and evaluated cell phone data, utilized DNA, and exhausted every possible piece of evidence that might lead to the source of the fentanyl that caused these deaths.
Unfortunately, after six months of this intense undertaking, the evidence that exists today has not and will not lead us to an arrest or the filing of a charged case. We will continue to investigate any new leads that may come in.
My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who died in this tragic incident in February. I want to thank all of the law enforcement agencies who spent hours investigating these deaths.
Addressing the fentanyl crisis is a collaborative effort and continues to be a top priority for all of us."
Media wishing to speak to DA Brian Mason in person and/or on-camera today (September 14, 2022) is asked to arrive at our Brighton Office at 1000 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO, 80601 for a 2:00pm press briefing.
Go Back "On February 20, 2022, our community became the latest example of the unrelenting toll fentanyl is taking on communities across the country. That night five of our residents died from fentanyl poisoning in one of the largest mass incidents of this sort in the United States.
In the aftermath of these tragic deaths, law enforcement agencies from across the 17th Judicial District, our region, and our state banded together to investigate and seek out the source of the drugs that led to this horrific event.
The Commerce City Police Department, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, the North Metro Drug Task Force, and members of my team from the District Attorney's Office followed numerous leads, reviewed surveillance video, conducted countless interviews, obtained and evaluated cell phone data, utilized DNA, and exhausted every possible piece of evidence that might lead to the source of the fentanyl that caused these deaths.
Unfortunately, after six months of this intense undertaking, the evidence that exists today has not and will not lead us to an arrest or the filing of a charged case. We will continue to investigate any new leads that may come in.
My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who died in this tragic incident in February. I want to thank all of the law enforcement agencies who spent hours investigating these deaths.
Addressing the fentanyl crisis is a collaborative effort and continues to be a top priority for all of us."
Media wishing to speak to DA Brian Mason in person and/or on-camera today (September 14, 2022) is asked to arrive at our Brighton Office at 1000 Judicial Center Drive, Brighton, CO, 80601 for a 2:00pm press briefing.
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District Attorney Mason assumed the oath of office on January 12, 2021. The 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office endeavors to seek justice on behalf of the citizens of Adams and Broomfield counties in felony and misdemeanor cases. DA Mason and his staff are dedicated to transforming the criminal justice system to better serve the citizens of the 17th Judicial District.