Jason Canfield, a 33-year-old New Hampshire man, was indicted in March 2026 on two felony counts tied to the Hudson, NH fentanyl overdose death of 55-year-old Cheryl Ann Brennan in August 2025. A Hillsborough County grand jury charged him with sale of a controlled drug resulting in death and sale of a controlled drug as a subsequent offense. If convicted on the first count, he faces up to life in prison.1Union Leader. Indictments Accuse Hudson Man of Selling Drugs to Woman Who Died of OD
The Death of Cheryl Ann Brennan
On August 26, 2025, Hudson police and fire personnel responded to a residence and found an unconscious woman. First responders and family members tried to revive her, but Brennan was pronounced dead at the scene.2Nashua Inklink News. Hudson Police Make Arrest in Fatal Drug Overdose Investigation The New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner determined she died of fentanyl toxicity. Brennan had lived in Hudson for 25 years and was survived by her husband, three children, and three grandchildren.1Union Leader. Indictments Accuse Hudson Man of Selling Drugs to Woman Who Died of OD
How Police Identified Canfield
Hudson Police detectives built the case largely on digital evidence. Investigators recovered deleted text messages on Brennan’s phone from a contact saved as “Jay,” in which the two discussed buying fentanyl, referred to in the messages as “sticks.”3Lowell Sun. Nashua NH Man Accused of Selling Fentanyl Tied to Overdose Death
Cell tower records placed Canfield’s phone near Brennan’s home at 10:07 p.m. on August 25, 2025, about a minute after he allegedly texted her “3 min.” Location data earlier that evening showed him traveling from Nashua to Lawrence, Massachusetts, which police described as “a source city for illicit narcotics,” before heading to Hudson. Surveillance footage, according to police, supported the timeline. The Drug Enforcement Administration assisted with the cell tower mapping analysis.3Lowell Sun. Nashua NH Man Accused of Selling Fentanyl Tied to Overdose Death2Nashua Inklink News. Hudson Police Make Arrest in Fatal Drug Overdose Investigation
Canfield was arrested at a Nashua residence on November 25, 2025, three months after Brennan’s death, and taken into custody without incident. He was arraigned the following day at the 9th Circuit Court in Nashua.4Nashua Telegraph. Nashua Man Charged With Overdose Death in Hudson After a probable cause hearing on December 4, 2025, a judge ordered him held at the Hillsborough County Jail.3Lowell Sun. Nashua NH Man Accused of Selling Fentanyl Tied to Overdose Death
The Charges and Possible Sentence
A Hillsborough County Superior Court South grand jury returned a two-count indictment in March 2026, upgrading the initial charges filed at arraignment.1Union Leader. Indictments Accuse Hudson Man of Selling Drugs to Woman Who Died of OD
- Sale of a controlled drug, death resulting, a “special felony” under New Hampshire law carrying up to life in prison and a $500,000 fine.
- Sale of a controlled drug, subsequent offense, a Class A felony carrying 7½ to 15 years in prison and a $200,000 fine.
The subsequent-offense enhancement rests on a prior conviction. The indictment cites a possession conviction against Canfield in April 2019 in Rockingham County Superior Court.5Patch. Hudson Man Indicted on Fentanyl Sale Death Resulting Charge in Hillsborough County
Why Prosecutors Don’t Have to Prove Intent to Kill
The death-resulting count falls under New Hampshire’s Controlled Drug Act, RSA 318-B:26. The statute imposes strict liability on anyone who manufactures, sells, or dispenses a Schedule I or II substance when a death results from its use. Prosecutors do not need to show Canfield intended Brennan’s death, only that he sold her the fentanyl that killed her.6New Hampshire General Court. RSA 318-B:26 – Penalties
Penalties under the statute are tiered by drug and prior record. A first fentanyl sale offense of one gram or more carries up to 20 years; a subsequent offense can bring up to 40 years. When a death results from the sale of a Schedule I or II drug, the sentence can reach life.6New Hampshire General Court. RSA 318-B:26 – Penalties
Where the Case Stands
Canfield remains in custody at the Hillsborough County Jail as of the most recent available reporting. The case has moved into the superior court system, and no trial date, plea, or pretrial ruling has been publicly reported. Hudson Police have described the investigation as “active and ongoing.”2Nashua Inklink News. Hudson Police Make Arrest in Fatal Drug Overdose Investigation