Suspected fentanyl dealer charged with first-degree murder in man's death

AUSTIN, Texas - A suspected fentanyl dealer has been charged with first-degree murder more than a year after a man died.

35-year-old Christopher Michael McDermott is accused of selling Troy Nicholas Cernosek the fentanyl that killed him.

On Sept. 6 2023, Austin police responded to a welfare check call in the 2800 block of West Anderson Lane in North Austin where officers found Cernosek unconscious and not breathing. Despite life-saving measures by ATCEMS and Austin fire crews, Cernosek was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Cernosek's official cause of death was documented by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office as "toxic effect of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and codeine." Investigators later learned that Cernosek had purchased fentanyl from a suspect, later identified as McDermott.

Christopher Michael McDermott

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McDermott was arrested on a separate unrelated warrant on Sept. 13, 2023, and was able to post bond as there was not yet enough evidence to charge him in Cernosek's death, says APD.

Further investigation uncovered video surveillance footage and witness testimony that solidified the case against McDermott. Multiple search warrants on phones and social media accounts, as well as a key witness, helped confirm McDermott's role in Cernosek's death, according to APD.

McDermott was initially arrested and charged with third-degree felony manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance causing death or serious bodily injury late last month. 

On Dec. 3, McDermott was charged with first-degree murder. His bond has been set at $200,000. 

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting www.austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477.