>>> IT IS A DISTURBING TREND WE HAVE SEEN, FENTANYL DEATHS HAVE SKYROCKETED. TWO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK THREE PEOPLE IN NEW YORK CITY DIED FROM AN OVERDOSE OF THE DRUG ABOUT THE DRUG FROM THE SAME DEALER. THEIR FAMILIES ARE STILL LOOKING TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE LOSS. ON THE EVE OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR DEATHS, AND EMOTIONAL MORNING ABOUT DRUG DANGERS AND NEW DETAILS ABOUT A RARE CONVICTION IN THE CASE. HERE IS DAN KRAUTH. >> Reporter: THIS IS NOT A STORY ABOUT OVERDOSES, IT IS A STORY ABOUT POISONING PEOPLE WITH DRUGS LEAST WITH A HIDDEN SUBSTANCE. IT IS KILLING PEOPLE IN RECORD NUMBERS INCLUDING THREE PEOPLE BY THE SAME DEALER ON THE SAME DAY. >> I JUST MISS HER. >> Reporter: THREE FAMILIES BROUGHT TOGETHER BY UNEXPECTED GRIEF. >> HOW CAN WE BELIEVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT? THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN. >> Reporter: THE 26-YEAR-OLD LAWYER, A BANKER AND SOON TO BE FATHER, AND A SOCIAL WORKER DID NOT KNOW EACH OTHER IN LIFE THEM ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES ARE HELPING EACH OTHER COPE WITH THEIR DEATHS. >> I DON'T WANT PARENTS TO GO THROUGH THIS. IT IS A HORROR STORY. WE HAVE TO BE MORE AWARE OF IT. >> Reporter: BACK ON MARCH 17 OF 2021 POLICE SAY THE THREE VICTIMS TEXTED THE SAME DRUG DEALER ASKING FOR COCAINE. HIS DELIVERYMAN DROP THE DRUGS OFF AT EACH ONE OF THEIR PLACES IN NEW YORK CITY. THEY ALL DIED A SHORT TIME LATER. >> MY DAUGHTER DID NOT DIE FROM A DRUG OVERDOSE, SHE WAS MURDERED. SMACK IT WAS NOT JUST COCAINE, TURNS OUT IT WAS ALSO FENTANYL, A HIGHLY ADDICTIVE AND DANGEROUS MAN-MADE OPIOID. EVEN A TINY AMOUNT CAN BE DEADLY. >> Reporter: HOW MUCH DID THEY FIND IN WHAT SHE TOOK ? >> WHAT SHE ACTUALLY HAD WE ARE TOLD WAS ALMOST ALL FENTANYL. THAT IS WHAT WE WERE TOLD BY THE POLICE. >> Reporter: CHARGING DRUG DEALERS IN DEATH CASES IS RARE. PROSECUTORS HAVE TO PROVE THE DEALER KNEW WHAT WAS INSIDE THE DRUGS AND IN THESE CASES THERE IS DIGITAL PROOF. BEFORE THE DRUGS WERE DELIVERED TO THE VICTIMS POLICE SAY ORTEGA RECEIVED A TEXT FROM ANOTHER CLIENT, A WARNING. I GAVE MOST OF MY LAST BACK TO MY BUDDY AND HE CALLED ME THIS SECOND TO SAY HE ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL LAST NIGHT AND THAT HE HAD TO GET A NARCAN SHOT. >> NINE MINUTES BEFORE HE TOLD THE DELIVERY GUY TO BRING THE DRUGS TO JULIA. HE KNEW 100% THAT THIS WOULD KILL HER. >> Reporter: POLICE SAY THE SAME BATCH OF DRUGS WERE DROPPED OFF AT A HOTEL ROOM AND THEN TO THE APARTMENT OF AMANDA. THE DEALER CONTINUED TO CALL AND TEXT AFTER DELIVERY. >> THE DEALER SAID TRY NOT TO DO TOO MUCH BECAUSE IT IS STRONG. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? >> IT WAS HORRIFYING. THE HORROR ALREADY HAPPENED. >> Reporter: LATER THAT NIGHT AFTER ORTEGA STOPPED GETTING RESPONSES HE TURNED TO ANOTHER CUSTOMER, THIS TIME ANOTHER DRUG DEALER. >> AFTER HE KILLED THREE PEOPLE HE TEXTED ANOTHER DRUG DEALER AND SAID I HAVE A BATCH THAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING IS TOO STRONG, WHY DON'T YOU TAKE IT AND GIVE IT TO SOME GIRLS, LOL. YOU KNOW, SO HE DOESN'T CARE. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL THESE OVERDOSE DEATHS AND YOU SAY WE NEED TO CHANGE HOW WE DESCRIBE THESE. THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS WAS. >> OVERDOSE IS THE WRONG WORD FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO JULIA AND TO ROSS AND AMANDA. THEY BOUGHT COCAINE. THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD COCAINE. AND IT WASN'T. IT WAS FENTANYL. >> IT IS NOT HOW THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO BE REMEMBERED. >> SOME GOOD HAS TO COME FROM THIS. >> Reporter: THEY HOPE IT PREVENTS A SIMILAR TRAGEDY FROM HAPPENING TO OTHER FAMILIES. >> I HOPE THAT PEOPLE LISTEN BECAUSE THIS IS REAL. THIS IS REAL AWFUL. IT IS NEVER-ENDING PAIN. >> Reporter: ORTEGA WILL BE SENTENCED IN THE SPRING. HE IS FACING UP TO LIFE IN PRISON. AND HE IS JUST ONE DEALER.
