Amarillo Man Indicted for Murder in 18-Year-Old’s Fentanyl Overdose Death

A 24-year-old Amarillo man has been indicted for murder in connection to the fentanyl overdose death of 18-year-old Vanessa Daniel.

On February 29, 2024, Amarillo police responded to the 3500 block of Barclay Drive, where Daniel was found deceased from unknown causes. An autopsy later determined she had died of an apparent fentanyl overdose. The Amarillo Police Department’s Homicide and Narcotics Units launched a joint investigation into her death.

The Randall County District Attorney’s Office accepted a murder charge against Trent River Klein, 24, of Amarillo. On February 5, 2025, a Randall County Grand Jury indicted Klein, and he was arrested and booked into the Randall County Jail.

Under Texas law, a person can be charged with murder if they manufacture or deliver fentanyl and another individual dies from ingesting, inhaling, or injecting the substance. The Amarillo Police Department and the Randall County District Attorney’s Office have affirmed their commitment to investigating and prosecuting fentanyl-related deaths.