A Missouri Mother Charged in Teen Daughter’s Fentanyl Overdose Death
A mother from Missouri has been charged in the death of her teenage daughter after allegedly giving her a lethal dose of fentanyl when she complained of a toothache.
Prosecutors in St. Louis filed charges against Jacquelyn Powers for endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, resulting in the death of a child, according to court documents.
Powers’ 14-year-old daughter had complained of a toothache on October 3 at their home in Overland, a suburb of St. Louis.
After trying Tylenol for the pain without success, Powers allegedly gave her daughter a pill she found in her drawer. The teen was found dead approximately 10 hours after taking the pill, as reported by the Overland Police Department.
During the investigation, Powers claimed she thought she had given her daughter oxycodone from a previous surgery, but the autopsy revealed the child died from a fentanyl overdose and tested negative for oxycodone.
Police discovered that Powers had fentanyl pills in her possession, which she had obtained through a trade with her mother to protect her from dangerous street drugs. The pills were kept in a drawer where the daughter had access to them.
Powers was arrested at her home and is currently held on a $150,000 bond at the St. Louis County jail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for November 19 for a bond reduction hearing, with a preliminary hearing set for December 11.
“Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, resulting in the death of a child” is a Class A felony, carrying severe penalties including the possibility of a life sentence with parole, according to state law.
This charge represents a situation where a child’s welfare was so compromised that it led to their death, resulting in the most severe penalties under the statute.
