thanked the North Richland Hills Police Department for its work on the case and its commitment to keeping the community safe.
A Unit Built for Fentanyl Cases
The Narcotics Unit that prosecuted Calhoun's case was established in 2023 by Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells specifically to focus on fentanyl-related and other high-impact drug offenses, as reported by CBS News. The unit's creation followed a sharp rise in fentanyl deaths across the county.
Other Fentanyl Murder Cases in the County
Calhoun's case is one of several fentanyl-related murder prosecutions that have moved through Tarrant County courts in recent years. Kaeden Farish pleaded guilty to murder in October 2024 after selling fentanyl-laced pills that killed a 17-year-old, receiving a 19-year prison sentence, per the CBS News report. Jacob Lindsay, 48, was sentenced to life in prison for the fentanyl and methamphetamine overdose death of 26-year-old Brandon Harrison, who died in Fort Worth on September 18, 2023.
In a separate case, a Tarrant County jury found Amanda Russell guilty of murder for selling fentanyl to a woman who overdosed in a north Arlington motel room, ultimately sentencing her to seven years in prison, according to the Star-Telegram. North Richland Hills has also seen its own fentanyl investigations beyond the Calhoun case. The city's Special Investigations Unit began probing a separate fentanyl poisoning death in January 2024, and detectives arrested Steven Douglas Strinko on a murder charge that May with assistance from the Fort Worth Police Department, according to a North Richland Hills city news release.
