Victim's family to testify at fentanyl dealer's sentencing, but weren't told case was reset

Kim and Adam Crump, joined by some 30 friends and relatives, headed Wednesday morning to the federal courthouse in downtown Austin for the sentencing hearing of David Lee Jr., who has pleaded guilty in the fentanyl death of their son, Hunter Paul Crump.

Families took off from work. Supporters skipped school. A team of investigators from Williamson County, who helped solve the case, planned to be there, too. On this day, the Crumps expected to finally testify before Lee was sentenced. He faces from 20 years on up to life.

Except, no one told the Crump family, their friends or the investigators that the sentencing hearing had been moved to Dec. 15. The Crumps learned of the date change from the American-Statesman, which planned to cover the sentencing, as the family drove from their Coupland home to town, a 30-mile trek in Austin's rush hour traffic.

"No one told us anything. No one called us," Kim Crump said. "This is devastating and traumatic."

On Monday, court records, show U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman agreed to move the sentencing to 9 a.m. Dec. 15 for Lee and a co-defendant, Virginia Zepeda, who pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, unrelated to Hunter's death.

To help families navigate the labyrinth-like federal system, the U.S. Attorney's Office assigns a liaison to keep relatives informed throughout the criminal justice process. The Crumps have been working with victim witness specialist Kathi West, a respected veteran, who sat alongside Kim Crump at a recent plea hearing. Prosecutors make it their business to speak with families, too.

Michael Lahrman, a U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman, looked into the matter. He said even though Judge Pitman granted the delay Monday, the court docket did not "reflect the continuance until Tuesday evening." Lahrman said the office has subsequently spoken with Kim Crump.

"We are very sorry that this unfortunate circumstance added to this family’s suffering, particularly on the day they had anticipated justice for those responsible for the death of their loved one," Lahrman said. "This was undoubtedly upsetting and disruptive to this victim’s family, who has suffered an immeasurable loss and additionally has had to endure the criminal justice process in addition to grieving their loss."

Hunter's death has been a high-profile story from the start. A beloved student, known for his generosity and putting others first, he died June 14 after his father found him gasping for air in his bedroom. His family said half of a fentanyl-laced pill killed Hunter, a recent graduate of Taylor High School who had enrolled in community college.

In 2022, more than 2,100 Texans died from fentanyl, including Hunter. Since 2018, there have been 5,561 fentanyl deaths reported statewide, health services data show.

Hunter's case also stood out because of the speed with which investigators built the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark H. Marshall, who leads a fentanyl task force, oversaw the prosecution.

Last December — slightly more than six months after Hunter's death — a federal grand jury in Austin indicted Lee, Zepeda and Jackie Lynn Chester. Prosecutors alleged that Lee and Zepeda, both of Austin, and Chester, of Taylor, "possessed and sold counterfeit oxycodone and other fake prescription pills containing traceable amounts of fentanyl, leading to the death of at least one person."

After Hunter's death, Chester proved crucial for investigators because she could lead them to the source of the deadly drugs, her supplier, Lee.

In May, Lee agreed to plead guilty to distribution of fentanyl that caused a death before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Hightower.

In June, Zepeda pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute fentanyl before U.S. Magistrate Dustin M. Howell. She had been on the radar of law enforcement and became part of the indictment after investigators made separate "controlled buys" from Lee and Zepeda, prosecutors said.

Zepeda is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 15, along with Lee. Zepeda could face a range of punishments from probation on up to 20 years in prison.

Chester pleaded guilty Sept. 1 to one count of distribution of fentanyl causing death and bodily injury. This week, court records show, Chester had her probation revoked after an independent lab confirmed Sept. 8 that she tested positive for methamphetamine, violating the terms of her pretrial release that mandated she remain drug free. Magistrate Hightower ordered that Chester be detained Wednesday.

Chester had tested positive for cocaine on June 6, and she failed to report for random testing twice in April and missed a treatment session in May, court records show.

Chester's detention brought relief to the Crump family, who had been upset that she remained free pending sentencing. "The good news is she's off the streets where she can't hurt someone. She's shown no remorse," Kim Crump said.

More: Second defendant pleads guilty in fentanyl poisoning death of 18-year-old Hunter Paul Crump

Chester also faces from 20 years to life in prison. Her sentencing date is Dec. 8 before Judge Pitman.

For Kim Crump, the conclusion of the case cannot come soon enough. She said the case prosecutor and another representative from the office reached out and apologized to her and her family, and explained that their victim/witness specialist had been out of town.

"They did apologize," Crump told the Statesman on Thursday morning. "Now to wait until December for sentencing is so hard. My husband starts to cry when he tries to write a letter for the sentencing. We had hoped to be done by Christmas."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Fentanyl dealer's sentencing reset to December. Victim's kin not told.