Logan Webb made no apologies for his anger. While grieving the loss of his young cousin, who died in 2021 after ingesting a pain pill laced with fentanyl, Webb said that dealers who knowingly peddle potentially lethal drugs are nothing short of murderers.
A jury in Placer County, Calif., agreed with him.
The dealer who sold Kade Webb a counterfeit Percocet pill, Carson Schewe, was found guilty of second-degree murder charges on Sept. 17. And on Thursday in Roseville, Calif., with Logan Webb in attendance, Schewe was sentenced to 20 years to life imprisonment, bringing justice if not closure to a family’s devastating loss.
“Kade did not want to lose his life,” said Logan Webb, gripping his pages of prepared remarks as he stood on the courthouse steps. “He had a passion for life that we all loved and adored every single day, which is why this conviction is so critical to his case and our family. The reality is Kade was poisoned, murdered. His struggle was exploited by a dealer who chose profit over people. I cannot thank the Placer County district attorney’s office enough for their leadership on this issue affecting our communities. Holding dealers accountable for the destruction of our families is critical to fighting this crisis.”
Schewe became the first drug dealer to be convicted by a jury on fentanyl-related murder charges in Placer County under legal theories that are gaining traction in jurisdictions across the state. The prosecution had to prove that the defendant was aware that his conduct was dangerous to human life and that he acted in reckless disregard for life by selling fentanyl.
“Kade’s case was the first,” Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said. “It illuminated the legal issues, the investigative issues, it helped us look back at cases that were pending and gave us perspective. And it set this theory of liability and this course of action on a trajectory across the state. … We received in Placer County the first conviction for a fentanyl-related murder by plea but it hadn’t gone to a jury. The community hadn’t weighed in directly to say, ‘Is this murder?’”
A packed room waiting on the sentencing of Carson Schewe. Placer County’s first fentanyl dealer found guilty of murder after Kade Webb died. The jury had to decide on three charges including second-degree murder and two counts of possession for sale. pic.twitter.com/zTEGsQXFFS
— Devin Trubey (@DevinTrubeyTV) December 5, 2024
Kade Webb was 20 and expecting his first child when he told family members that he was stepping out to get a haircut on Dec. 3, 2021 — just two days before his cousin, Logan, the San Francisco Giants’ right-handed ace, was set to marry his high school sweetheart, Sharidan Morales. His body was found in the bathroom of a Safeway later that night, ripping a hole in a tight-knit family that is still processing its sudden loss.
“With my family’s blessing, I got married, and a couple days later, I was a pallbearer for my cousin,” Logan Webb said. “Our family’s joy was pained with deep loss. I was one of the first ones on the scene that night to find my cousin and I will tell you, that experience, I don’t wish that on anybody.”
He is using his platform as an All-Star pitcher in the hope that other families will be spared the same anguish. He and his family openly shared their story with The Athletic in 2022. They participated in an ESPN “Outside the Lines” documentary that aired last year. Kade’s parents, Kurt Webb and Elizabeth Dillender, have become advocates for victims’ families and have participated in Placer County’s “1 Pill Can Kill” campaign along with other movements designed to create awareness around the dangers of fentanyl.
Kurt Webb is also pushing for a congressional act that would allow fentanyl dealers to be charged as domestic terrorists.
“It’s been a long journey to get to this day,” Kurt Webb said. “Today was not just a win for our family. This is a win for the state of California and every community in it, every family in it. This fentanyl crisis is killing our kids and devastating communities across America. … We should be exhausting every resource we have at our disposal to get illicit fentanyl off the streets and out of our communities by bridging the gap between awareness and action.
“It can’t just happen in our courtrooms. We have to make new laws and policies to end this epidemic and save families so you are not up here grieving like we are.”
Logan Webb, who grew up in nearby Rocklin, Calif., thanked prosecutor Devan Portillo and Placer County Sheriff’s Office investigator Patrick Craven for the hours they spent building and arguing the case. The Giants’ star pitcher has spoken to high school assemblies to share his family’s story and plans to continue efforts to raise awareness.
“I look forward to continuing to partner with Placer County to fight against this crisis,” Logan Webb said. “I’m deeply humbled to have a platform to share Kade’s story on a national level to help reach our youth on the dangers of fentanyl. The truth is, our kids are struggling and we need to let them know it’s OK to struggle, but also the dangers that self-medicating can bring. I know Kade would want his story to help others and I am honored to take on that mission.
“Every conversation makes a difference. … We hope our family’s story can help save lives.”
Gire thanked the Webb family for their openness in sharing their grief.
“The stories of our bereaved parents educate our communities but they do more than that,” Gire said. “They ignite a fire across DA’s offices, across the state, and the expectation that these are homicides and they will be investigated as such. … People are listening and people are watching. That is what Kade is giving us. His story is allowing more lives to be saved as each one of these dealers who come into our counties are held accountable.”
(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
