Was Brian Nestande’s Death a Homicide?

Authorities ‘Technically’ Looking into Nestande’s Death as Homicide

RIVERSIDE — From the outset, Brian Nestande’s death and the details surrounding it have seemed off. Something just did not seem right. Now, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco confirmed that “technically” he is looking into Nestande’s death as a possible homicide.

“We treat all fentanyl deaths as homicide investigations,” Bianco told Uken Report.

He said authorities have been looking into Nestande’s death as a possible homicide since getting Nestande’s drug results back.

This should   come as no surprise. In an interview with Uken Report in February, Bianco said, ”

Nearly one year after Brian Nestande was found dead in his Palm Desert home due to “multiple substance intoxication (Fentanyl and cocaine), Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told Uken Report, “We know that he did not willingly ingest this fentanyl.”

“He was supplied something, either a pill or a medication, that contained fentanyl,” Bianco said. “Our investigation is no different than other investigations in that we will continue searching to find the person that supplied him that fentanyl and if circumstances and the investigation permit, they will be arrested and prosecuted.”

“Toxicology testing identified a designer form of fentanyl and a cocaine metabolite in his blood,” Dr. Scott A. Luzi, a contract forensic pathologist, wrote in the autopsy report. “Autopsy identified an enlarged heart with significant narrowing of his coronary arteries and changes in his kidneys consistent with chronic hypertension, which may have contributed to his death. The mechanism of death involves cardiac arrhythmia.”