Benjamin Williams: Walgreens pharmacist who sold fatal drug mix to California woman charged with murder
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
MORGAN HILLS, CALIFORNIA: Benjamin Nathan Williams, a former Walgreens pharmacist, is facing murder charges following the death of 26-year-old Hope Noel Warrick in Morgan Hill.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office revealed on Tuesday, March 5, that Warrick lost her life on February 13, 2023, poisoned by a lethal combination of cocaine, amphetamine, and fentanyl - an alarming concoction allegedly sold to her by Williams.
Inside the aftermath of Hope Warrick's tragic overdose
Warrick's mother discovered her daughter's lifeless body after the fatal overdose, prompting detectives to scour the victim's home. Among the disturbing findings was a plastic baggie labeled with the Walgreens logo, containing white powder, alongside her cellphone.
The investigation into this tragic incident unfolded as detectives delved into Warrick's Instagram account, uncovering private messages indicating her intent to purchase cocaine from Williams, a 34-year-old resident of San Jose.
Williams, with a history of criminal activity involving narcotics theft from his prior workplace at Walgreens, was reportedly decertified for these actions, according to Brooks Jarosz, spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office.
Following the alleged drug transaction, he messaged Warrick on Instagram, cryptically stating that he had "added in something extra for her, but did not specify what substance,” per KRON.
Benjamin Williams' alleged plot to secretly lace cocaine with deadly fentanyl
Warrick was discovered lifeless the morning after the message exchange, with subsequent investigations exposing the shocking revelation that the victim had unknowingly consumed fentanyl - an opioid known for its lethal potency.
In stark contrast, the Sheriff's Office asserted that Williams was well aware of the grave dangers associated with fentanyl.
Jarosz stated, "Williams sold cocaine secretly laced with fentanyl to Warrick, and ultimately murdered her," adding, “Williams was knowingly committing crimes for illegal personal monetary gain.”
Upon searching Williams' residence in San Jose, detectives uncovered more Walgreens-branded baggies and cellphones.
Further examinations of the suspects' phones unveiled photos and text messages illustrating additional fentanyl sales, drug use, and the former pharmacist's knowledge of the substance's perilous nature, as reported by the Sheriff's Office.
On Friday, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office officially charged Williams with one count of murder and one count of drug sales.
Currently in custody in Milpitas, Williams is expected to make his initial court appearance later this week.
