Testimony by the parents of a North Dakota college student killed while serving as a confidential informant has re-sparked conversation about the usefulness of such programs.

Tammy Sadek fought back tears as she spoke before a state Senate Committee last week of her son Andrew. [KVRR-TV]

Andrew had been "recruited" by police to be an informant after he was arrested for "trafficking" a small amount of marijuana.

He disappeared in May of 2014, and his body was found in the Red River that summer. The autopsy revealed he had a gunshot wound to the head and his backpack was weighed down with rocks.

Mrs. Sadek said potential informants should be better informed of their legal options, and should be made to understand the risks they may be taking.

Andrew's father also spoke before the committee.

The website of Reason Magazine (a national libertarian-leaning publication) produced a podcast about the incident in 2015, calling it "a story of overzealous prosecution of minor drug offenses by a task force answerable only to itself, callous official indifference toward a grieving family, and a lack of transparency by authorities that raises more questions than it answers."

KVRR reports "a bill that passed the House last month would establish new guidelines for use of confidential informants."

Appended herewith is the Reason report along with links to other articles and resources.

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