Micah Rodgers Seau, the nephew of the late San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, has entered a not guilty plea to a murder charge on June 4. This charge stems from his alleged involvement in a fentanyl sale that resulted in the fatal overdose of 31-year-old Connor Gerhart on June 1, 2023.
According to prosecutors, Seau purchased fentanyl pills from co-defendant Sheri Cavanaugh and then provided them to Gerhart, charging him $700 for the transaction. Gerhart, who was a longtime friend of Seau, tragically passed away at his Pacific Beach home on the evening of June 1.
Both Seau and Cavanaugh are facing charges of murder and conspiracy to commit a crime, with a potential sentence of up to 15 years to life in state prison if convicted on all counts. The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office described them as “longtime associates dealing illegal narcotics” and they are currently in custody following their arraignments in court.
District Attorney Summer Stephan stated, “These defendants were aware of the dangers of the illegal drugs they were selling and in a callous indifference to the victim’s overdose death, conspired to continue dealing this poison in our communities.”
The D.A.’s Office revealed that they have charged eight individuals with homicide-related offenses related to fatal fentanyl sales since 2017. Additionally, San Diego County witnessed around 800 fentanyl-related deaths in both 2021 and 2022.
Stephan emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “Fentanyl killed more young people in our nation than any other cause last year. When someone sells fentanyl, knowing how incredibly dangerous that drug is, and another person dies as a result of using that drug, that is murder.”
Connor Gerhart, as described in an online obituary, was a San Diego native, a graduate of La Jolla Country Day High School, and an alumnus of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He was involved in construction projects at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry at the time of his passing.
The obituary reflects on Gerhart’s life, stating, “Connor was recently married, had a promising career, was surrounded by love and support, and had a very promising future.”
