Laura Collanton still remembers the last ordinary moment. She texted her 20-year-old son, Spencer Newsom, to check in and plan lunch. He wrote back that he loved her. Then life stopped making sense.

In September 2020, during lockdown, Spencer died in his Roseville, California apartment. He had just finished EMT classes. He had earned a spot in the Fire Academy. He talked about a future in public service. Then he bought a pill through Snapchat, believing it was Xanax. Instead, it contained fentanyl.

When Laura and her family finally got inside his flat, Spencer lay on his bed fully dressed. He looked asleep. However, he was gone.

For years, Laura pushed for answers. She spoke publicly. She worked with investigators. She warned other families about counterfeit pills and the way social media now fuels drug sales. Still, the case went quiet. Evidence aged. Phone data vanished. Hope thinned.

Then detectives reopened the file and kept digging. They eventually arrested Christopher Williams, 29, in connection with Spencer’s death. Prosecutors charged him with murder and drug sales. The court process now moves forward.

Laura says the arrest does not bring “closure.” Nothing can. Yet it brings one kind of relief. It stops one alleged dealer from selling again. And it turns Spencer’s story into a warning she wishes every parent and young adult would hear.

One pill can kill. One conversation can protect.