Junior Seau's nephew pleads not guilty to alleged murder over deadly fentanyl sale

The nephew of San Diego Chargers legend Junior Seau pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a murder charge for allegedly participating in a fentanyl deal that led to a man's fatal overdose.

Micah Rodgers Seau, 31, is accused of providing fentanyl pills to Connor Gerhart, 31, resulting in the victim's death on June 1, 2023.

Prosecutors say Seau initially purchased at least $1,200 worth of pills from co-defendant Sheri Cavanaugh, 59, then supplied Gerhart with pills and charged her $700.

Gerhart, described as a longtime friend of Seau, died at his Pacific Beach home on the evening of June 1, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.

Seau and Cavanaugh are each charged with murder and conspiracy to commit a felony. They both face up to 15 years to life in prison if convicted of all charges.

The San Diego County District Attorney's Office called Seau and Cavanaugh
“long-time associates who sell illegal narcotics.” Both remain in custody following their arraignment Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court.

“These defendants were aware of the dangers of the illegal drugs they sold and, in complete indifference to the victim's overdose death, conspired to continue selling this poison in our communities,” prosecutor Summer Stephan said in a statement.

The prosecutor's office said it has charged eight people with crimes related to homicides stemming from fatal fentanyl sales since 2017 and that approximately 800 fentanyl-related deaths have occurred in San Diego County in 2021 and 2022.

“Fentanyl killed more young people in our country than any other cause last year,” Stephan said. “When someone sells fentanyl, knowing how incredibly dangerous this drug is, and another person dies as a result of using it, that’s murder.”

According to an online obituary, Gerhart was born and raised in the San Diego area and was a graduate of La Jolla Country Day High School. He later attended Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and, at the time of his death, was working on construction projects that included the redevelopment and expansion of the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry, states the obituary.

“Connor was recently married, had a promising career, was surrounded by love and support, and had a very bright future,” the page reads.

City News Service contributed to this article.