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Jury convicts man in fatal OD of Concordia University student in Mequon

Posted at 6:56 AM, Dec 01, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-01 07:56:58-05
PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. (AP) -- Jurors on Wednesday convicted a Milwaukee man in the overdose death of a Concordia University student in Mequon.
 
Shuntaye Crenshaw, 24, was found guilty of first-degree reckless homicide/delivery of drugs in the death last year of Caleb Ford, 18, of Waukesha. Crenshaw faces up to 25 years in prison when he's sentenced in January, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
 
Ford died of a heroin and Xanax overdose in his freshman dorm room on Oct. 1, 2015.
Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol said Crenshaw gave Ford the heroin just hours before Ford's roommate found him dead.
 
"Don't deny the reality readily apparent before your eyes," Gerol said to jurors in an opening statement Tuesday.
 
Defense attorney Lauria Lynch-German said Crenshaw is a "rip-off artist" and only delivered "items," not heroin, to Ford. Lynch-German also said Ford had time to find real heroin after he returned to his dorm. Campus surveillance video shows the student leaving the building for about 15 minutes at approximately 2 a.m.
Ford, who had purchased drugs from Crenshaw before, told his friends if they could pool together $200 he could get them drugs, according to the newspaper.
 
On the night of Sept. 30, 2015, the students met with Crenshaw and bought marijuana, concentrated marijuana oil, pills and some heroin.
 
In February, Crenshaw was charged separately with delivery of heroin as undercover detectives investigated Ford's death. Crenshaw was sentenced to three years in prison in that case.