SACRAMENTO REGION (MPG) - A West Sacramento man has received the news that El Dorado County Judge Vicky Ashworth ruled, at a pre-trial, that there is sufficient evidence to merit a full trial for second-degree murder, for the death of 20-year-old Gillian Peterson-Murray. Kamaal Yusuf is accused of selling the 20-year-old counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and that those pills led to her death in May 2022.

According to an article in the Mountain Democrat, and verified by West Sacramento Police Department for their involvement in the case, Gillian Peterson-Murray and her live-in boyfriend, Michael Keane, began doing the drug known as M30’s after a pain pill prescription ran out. Keane had suffered an injury and was prescribed OxyContin but after a 30-day prescription ran out, they began seeking the drug elsewhere.

Keane testified in Yusuf’s pre-trial that he and his girlfriend would do the drug once or twice a month, by his estimate. The couple would also drink on weekends, according to Keane’s testimony. The couple used the Snapchat app to obtain a dealer after a friend was “promoting” someone going by “Mr. Sneeze”. The couple’s friend used “Sia Mosley” as their username. “Mosley” was allegedly advertising pills for sale.

Keane testified that he remembers using Snapchat messages to arrange the meeting with “Mosley”, where they planned to purchase the pills. They arranged the meeting on a road in Folsom. It is reported that Keane’s testimony in pre-trial contained inconsistencies regarding the date of the meeting, from his initial statement to the Police. However, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Detectives were able to verify May 15, 2022, as the day when the meeting took place, through GPS data and license plate recognition. 

Keane stated that the meeting was only a minute or two and that they were told to “take less than a whole pill because the pills were stronger than regular Oxy.” Counterfeit (also called fake or pressed pills) pills that contain fentanyl are more likely to have inconsistent dosages: DEA.gov reports in 2022, that the DEA seized more than 58.3 million fentanyl-lace fake pills and more than 13,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. The 2022 seizures are equivalent to more than 387.9 million lethal doses of fentanyl.

Keane said that they went home and each snorted half of a pill. The following Wednesday night, Keane said that he and Peterson-Murray took the drug again, this time using a full pill each as well as shared some alcoholic drinks and a bottle of champagne. Both passed out, and when Keane woke up he found his girlfriend not breathing. Fentanyl shuts down the respiratory system so quickly that most do not even feel it coming on.

Peterson-Murray was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Toxicology showed she had nicotine, norfentanyl, caffeine, cotinine and sertraline in her system. Plus, her blood alcohol content was .123, and she had more than double a lethal dose of fentanyl (8.9 nanograms).

The investigation that was opened after Peterson-Murray’s death led Police to plan an undercover buy from “Mosley”, through Snapchat. Police went undercover and completed a deal in Folsom. The deal was planned for El Dorado Hills but was moved to Folsom to ensure Police coverage. Police bought 25 blue M30s for $250.

After the transaction, the Police followed the vehicle to a house on Dover Street in West Sacramento. On the way, Police witnessed the vehicle pull over on the wrong side of the street, and with an unobstructed view, saw the drug deal that took place. An additional vehicle was located at the house that matched the description of the vehicle Keane had described to the Police from their deal.

Police later attempted to stop Yusuf at a Safeway but he quickly sped out of the parking lot and Police did not pursue him, in the interest of public safety. Using a search warrant and the aid of the West Sacramento Police, detectives served a search warrant on the Dover Street home where they found two safes containing tens of thousands of dollars, more than 5,000 pills containing fentanyl, cocaine and Yusuf’s social security card. In addition, they recovered multiple cell phones and marijuana packaged for sale with the logo of the Trix Rabbit with droopy features and bloodshot eyes.

Similar packaging was provided to the El Dorado Sheriff’s Office by a 15-year-old from El Dorado Hills. The 15-year-old did not pick Yusuf out of a photo lineup for the person who sold him the drugs, but he did list him as one of two possibilities. Keane has had a little problem positively identifying Yusuf as well. Keane had stated that he specifically remembers an arm tattoo on the forearm. Yusuf does not have one, but does have one on his upper arm.

Keane also said in court that he recognized Yusuf as “Mosley” when they were in the courtroom, but could not pick him out of a photo lineup prior to the pre-trial, even though “Mosley” was sitting nearby. Ironically, Yusuf shared a personal experience with Police while on the way to El Dorado County Jail, that in the past someone had slipped him fentanyl and he almost died.

Yusuf is being charged with second-degree murder and selling marijuana to a minor. His trial is estimated to last 9 days and is set to begin October 17^th at 8:30 am, in Department 1 of the El Dorado Superior Court. Yolo County, to date, has not brought anyone to trial for murder due to fentanyl poisoning.