Man Faces Homicide Charge In Bellevue Woman's Overdose Death

BELLEVUE, WA — Police have arrested a 31-year-old Renton man accused of selling drugs laced with fentanyl to a 26-year-old Bellevue woman who was found dead in her apartment last June, officials announced Monday.

The woman's body was found on June 18, 2020, and lab tests revealed blue "M30" pills next to her bed contained fentanyl and no Oxycodone. The King County Medical Examiner ruled her cause of death was "acute combined drug intoxication," with fentanyl and alcohol. Detectives arrested the Renton man on suspicion of homicide earlier this month, and a King County judge set bail at $500,000, police said.

Charging documents identified the defendant as Treven Blake Lane.

"These are challenging cases to prove, but our detectives are meticulous and determined," said Bellevue Assistant Police Chief Wendell Shirley. "They were able to connect the drugs that killed the victim to the alleged dealer and show that he knew they were not legitimate prescription drugs, despite telling the victim they were. We want to send a clear message that we will pursue every lead and use every tool available to track down those selling these dangerous and illegal drugs and hold them accountable."

Police said Lane is the second person charged with "substance abuse homicide" in Bellevue this year. According to police, King County has seen fentanyl-related deaths skyrocket by 650 percent in the last five years. In Bellevue, there were eight deaths linked to fentanyl in 2020. Just halfway through this year, Bellevue has already matched that total for 2021.

Police encourage residents who may know someone struggling with addiction to get Narcan, available at most pharmacies, which can reverse an overdose. King County public health officials have assembled a collection of fentanyl information online.