A Missouri mother has been charged in the death of her teenage daughter, whom she allegedly gave a fatal dose of fentanyl after she complained of a toothache.
On Thursday, prosecutors in St. Louis charged Jacqueline Powers with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, resulting in the death of a child. court documents,
Powers’ 14-year-old daughter complained she was suffering from a toothache on October 3 at their home in Overland – a suburb of St. Louis.
The mother first tried giving her child Tylenol for the pain, but when that didn’t help, she reportedly gave the teen a pill she found in his drawer.
According to the Overland Police Department, about 10 hours after the teen took the pill, she was found dead.
The mother told police she thought she had given her daughter oxycodone, which she said she had from a previous surgery, According to Fox 2 Now.
However, an autopsy revealed that the child died of a fentanyl overdose and testing was negative for the presence of oxycodone.
Powers told investigators he had the fentanyl pills because he allegedly traded some of his oxycodone with his mother to “protect” her from dangerous pills she could buy on the street.
Police said Powers put the pills in her drawer, which she then gave to her daughter.
Powers “admitted to giving the victim what he believed to be prescription pain pills and other street drugs while inside the home with other minor children.” warrant From the 21st Judicial Circuit Court in St. Louis County.
“It’s tragic,” said Capt. Jim Morgan of the Overland Police Department. fox 2 now,
“It should not happen.”
According to the outlet, Powers has been arrested and was seen being led away from her Overland home in handcuffs on Friday.
He is being held in the St. Louis County Jail on $150,000 bond.
Powers is expected back in court Nov. 19 for a bond reduction hearing.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 11.
“Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, resulting in the death of the child” is considered a Class A felony.
This is the most serious charge under this law.
It carries the most severe possible penalty, as it represents a situation where a child’s welfare was so severely compromised that it resulted in their death.
According to state law, if convicted, Powers could face life in prison with the possibility of parole.
(TagstoTranslate)US News(T)Crime(T)Deaths(T)Drug Overdose(T)Drugs(T)Fentanyl(T)Missouri(T)St. louis
