New FBI affidavit reveals how woman smuggled deadly dose of fentanyl into Santa Rita Jail
Lee Esther Anderson. Courtesy: Family
DUBLIN, Calif. - A new FBI affidavit reveals how a 41-year-old woman died this spring in Santa Rita Jail – a fellow inmate gave her fentanyl, which she snuck into the facility by hiding in her private parts.
FBI Agent Tyler Esswein detailed what happened after conducting interviews and using surveillance video.
In the end, federal prosecutors charged Kameron Patricia Reid, 37, with distribution of fentanyl, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1million fine.
Reid's attorney did not immediately respond for comment on Wednesday.
But court records show that Reid has not been charged with the death of Lee Esther Anderson, who took the drugs and died on May 16. In fact, jail records show that Reid is currently being held at Santa Rita without bail only on the drug charges.
Anderson was the third person out of seven to die this year at Santa Rita Jail and is among 56 people who have died in custody at the facility since 2014, a KTVU analysis shows.
Until now, not much has been known about how she died, other than jail officials saying it was likely due to a drug overdose.
A friend made a tribute video to Anderson after her death, showing her in 9th grade as a star basketball player at Skyline High School. In the 1994 video, Anderson said she hoped to go to college and be an actress or a professional basketball player one day. Anderson later went on to attend San Diego State University, have a daughter and a hold down a song writing and music production career.
As to how Reid was able to sneak the drugs inside the Dublin facility?
Lt. Ray Kelly acknowledged that most of the drugs that get into jail are smuggled in body cavities despite having two new drug detection Labrador retrievers and K-9 handlers.
"Every day, we search to make sure the jail is drug free," Kelly said. "It seems to be more challenging these days as there are a tremendous amount of dangerous drugs in our communities and people willing to smuggle them into our jail."
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Surveillance video inside Santa Rita Jail shows Kameron Patricia Reid taking fentanyl out of her genital area in the bathroom. May 16, 2021
But the FBI affidavit fills in some of what hasn't been known before.
According to the FBI agent, Reid was taken to jail in late April after San Leandro police found she had 7.2 grams of fentanyl inside an earbud case and some methamphetamine on her.
She was placed in Housing Unit 24, upper A-pod.
A fellow incarcerated woman told FBI agents that Reid had given her and Anderson – who is not specifically named in the affidavit – some pills, which she had stored in her vagina. On the night before Anderson died, Reid had given them both pink pills, but they had no effect, the unnamed inmate told the FBI.
The next morning, on May 16, Reid gave them both a white pill, which she called "the big dog," according to the affidavit. Both women snorted the drug. The incarcerated woman told the FBI she felt so high, she felt like dying.
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Meanwhile, Anderson ingested the fentanyl and was seen on video motionless on the floor next to her bunk, with her head limp and slouched to the side, the FBI agent described.
Reid checked on Anderson several times, the agent wrote.
Just before 1 p.m., an incarcerated woman notified deputies that Anderson was unconscious and video showed Reid appearing to take something out of her genital area and flush the remaining fentanyl down the toilet.
The affidavit was filed on Nov. 16, and unsealed last week.
At the time of Anderson's death, Kelly told KTVU that a nurse was in the unit along with several deputies. Narcan and emergency medical intervention were immediately provided. On Wednesday, Kelly stressed again that Santa Rita Jail has "a very successful Narcan program that has saved several lives from overdose."
While at Santa Rita, Anderson wrote a blog where she complained of bad food and dirty conditions.
In her piece before she died, Anderson said she had been at Santa Rita for more than a year, and in that time, she witnessed "neglect, mental abuse, and unsanitary eating and living environments."
Sheila Tabor, Anderson's sister, did not want to speak in detail about how and why her sister ended up at Santa Rita Jail. But she did say that to her knowledge, her sister did not have a drug addiction.
She described Anderson as a "beautiful soul" who was a loving mother and gifted musician.
"It didn't have to be like this," Tabor said. "Our lives have shifted. This is an open wound."
KTVU's Henry Lee contributed to this report.
Lisa Fernandez is a reporter for KTVU. Email Lisa at lisa.fernandez@fox.com or call her at 510-874-0139. Or follow her on Twitter @ljfernandez