The mother whose two-month-old kid was killed by the lethal and addictive narcotic fentanyl has been sentenced to five years in prison.
In 2020, Heather Marie Frazier, age 35, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with her son Grayson’s murder.
After pleading guilty in August, she will serve five years in prison and five years on probation following her release.
On July 3, 2020, medical personnel were dispatched to a residence in Walden Way, Maryland, following reports that a newborn had suffered cardiac arrest.
After pleading guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter, Heather Marie Farzier will serve five years in jail and five years on supervised probation.
After the murder of his kid, Jeremy Whitney Frazier, 35, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in March and was sentenced to five years in prison and five years of supervised probation.
Later, Grayson was declared deceased at the Frederick Health Hospital.
The death of the youngster was judged a homicide after a thorough autopsy revealed that fentanyl intoxication was the cause of death.
Heather and Jeremy Frazier, both 34 years old, were identified as suspects in the infant’s killing by Frederick County investigators.
In interviews with the suspects and their relatives, it was revealed that the pair mixed the lethal medication in the same bathroom where they prepared their son’s medicine.
State’s Attorney Charlie Smith stated regarding the case, “This is a heartbreaking case where drug addiction has devastated a valuable young life, and the parents are now facing the consequences of their reckless actions.”
In March, Jeremy Whitney Frazier, 35, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to five years in prison followed by five years of probation.
Why is fentanyl so harmful, and what is it?
Fentanyl was initially created in Belgium in the 1950s as a painkiller for cancer sufferers.
Due to its high potency, it has gained popularity among recreational drug users.
The number of fatal overdoses caused by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl increased from nearly 10,000 in 2015 to nearly 20,000 in 2016, surpassing those caused by traditional opioid medicines and heroin for the first time.
And more than 72,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2017 – a record fuelled by fentanyl.
It is frequently added to heroin since its biological effects are identical to those of heroin. US experts estimate that fentanyl is up to fifty times more powerful than heroin.
In the United States, fentanyl is categorized as a schedule II substance, which indicates that it has a high potential for abuse and can cause psychological and physical dependence.
»Maryland mother gets five years in jail for two-month-old son’s fenantyl death«