Brock Nieuwendorp was sentenced to 26 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections after he pled guilty to distributing fentanyl that killed a 25-year-old woman in Golden in April 2023.
Nieuwendorp had ten prior felony convictions before this case. He also repeatedly failed at community-based supervision. Months after the death of the woman, Nieuwendorp was arrested in Denver for possession of drugs and a firearm, according to the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors argued for the maximum sentence of 32 years in prison.
The victim had a history of drug addiction and was in recovery before the incident, according to her family. Her death was listed as an accident due to combined drug intoxication, according to the DA’s Office.
The court remarked on Nieuwendorp’s criminal history stating that his actions were destined to harm somebody.
“Where does the addiction end, and the responsibility begin? Part of the answer is when people get hurt, and definitely when people die,” said court officials.
“We’re so grateful for the care our daughter’s case received over the past year from law enforcement, the prosecution team, our victim’s advocate, and the judge. We’re still grieving the loss of our beloved Kate, but we take great comfort in knowing that the community Kate loved will be a safer place for many years to come. We hope that this case will serve as a deterrent to those individuals considering dealing or using fentanyl,” the victim’s family stated in a prepared statement.
