Temecula Man's Fentanyl Death: Felon Must Stand Trial On Murder Charge

TEMECULA, CA — A felon accused of supplying a deadly dose of fentanyl to a 30-year-old Temecula man must stand trial for second-degree murder, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Quinn Aaron McKellips allegedly caused the death of Calin Sender in 2020.

Following a preliminary hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, the court ruled there was sufficient evidence to bound McKellips over for trial on the murder count.

The defendant, who is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center, is slated to appear for a post-preliminary hearing arraignment on June 12.

According to Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Sean Liebrand, on the afternoon of Jan. 17, 2020, deputies and paramedics were called to Sender's residence in the 44000 block of Festivo Street to investigate reports of an unconscious man.

Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

"Deputies located several M30 pills and Xanax bars in Sender's bedroom," Liebrand said, adding that an autopsy soon confirmed the victim "died as a result of fentanyl poisoning."

"In November 2022, the investigation was assumed by the sheriff's Overdose Investigations & Narcotics Unit," the sergeant said. "The M30 pills in Sender's bedroom were sent for testing, and the results were positive for fentanyl. Over the next several months, investigators worked to identify the person responsible for selling the fentanyl that killed Sender."

Liebrand alleged McKellips was confirmed to be the seller. How the defendant and victim knew one another was not disclosed.

The case was submitted to the District Attorney's Office for review, culminating in the filing of a criminal complaint last September. A warrant was then issued for the defendant, who was taken into custody without incident on Sept. 15 in the 29300 block of Cavalry Circle in Winchester.

Court records show McKellips has prior convictions for possession of controlled substances for sale, being a narcotic addict in possession of a gun, transportation of controlled substances for sale and domestic violence.

Since February 2021, almost 30 individuals countywide have been charged with murder in connection with fentanyl poisonings.

In November, prosecutors closed the books on the county's first fentanyl murder case to go before a jury, culminating in the conviction of 34- year-old Vicente David Romero, who was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the 2020 death of a Temecula woman.

Preliminary data released by the Department of Public Health earlier this year showed there were 388 confirmed fentanyl-related fatalities countywide in 2023, a 23% decline from 2022, when there were 503.

Fentanyl is manufactured in overseas labs, principally in China, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which says the drug is smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border by cartels.

Fentanyl is 80-100 times more potent than morphine and can be mixed into any number of street narcotics and prescription drugs, without a user knowing what he or she is consuming. Ingestion of only two milligrams can be fatal.