Click here to access the PDF version.
Miami, Fla. (February 20, 2019) – The Miami-Dade County Grand Jury indicted 21-year-old Karl Schmidt and 52-year-old David Cash for first-degree murder in the fentanyl-related death of 22-year-old Daniel Calle. In the 2018 Florida Legislative Session, State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle was able to persuade the Legislature to expand the existing section of Florida’s Murder Statute which addressed the sale of drugs resulting in death [F.S. 782.04 (1)(a)3g] to include Fentanyl. As too many communities already know, Fentanyl has played a major role in the overall increase in opioid deaths, locally and nationally. Prior to the legislative change, a death related to Fentanyl abuse could not be charged in such a manner.
“The opioid epidemic has already taken far too many lives and devastated far too many families” said State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Florida law holds responsible those who supply and sell the drugs which lead to a death. In today’s Indictment, the Grand Jury agreed with our belief that the actions of Karl Schmidt and David Cash are responsible for Daniel Calle’s death. The statute was specifically designed to address these circumstances.”
For further information contact, Ed Griffith, Public Information Officer, at (305) 547-0535 or EdGriffith@MiamiSAO.com.