On the evening of July 12, 2022, 4-year-old Acelynn Staton-Contreras found and ingested fentanyl pills from a container stored on a bathroom window sill at her home in Fountain, Colorado. Her mother, Emma Staton, discovered the child in distress — gasping for air and vomiting — and administered a dose of Narcan. The mother called 911 but hung up, and when deputies arrived she told them nothing was wrong. Her boyfriend, who had been waiting for deputies to leave before approaching, provided a second dose of Narcan. Approximately three hours after the ingestion, the mother and boyfriend attempted to drive the child to the hospital, but the child's condition worsened and she turned blue. They called 911 again, and first responders attempted life-saving measures at a Love's Truck Stop off I-25 in Fountain, but the child was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed brain swelling consistent with an overdose. Police recovered 45 fentanyl pills, 3.2 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia from the home and from a Hello Kitty bag the mother had packed with drugs. Emma Staton pleaded guilty to child abuse knowingly or recklessly causing death and two drug possession charges, and was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
All three documents describe the child's death from fentanyl ingestion/overdose. The KOAA article states the child "likely found pills inside a container stored on a bathroom sill." The Gazette article states "Acelynn Staton-Contreras fatally overdosed on fentanyl kept in Staton's bathroom in July 2022." The CBS News article states "the child...had consumed fentanyl."
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The KOAA article states the child "likely found pills inside a container stored on a bathroom sill," and the mother's own statement at her plea hearing was: "I had the fentanyl pills in my possession or in the vicinity of where my child was, and that was wrong" (Gazette article). The parent left fentanyl pills accessible to a 4-year-old on a bathroom window sill, representing a failure to appropriately supervise or secure a known lethal hazard from the child.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The Gazette article states: "Two detectives with the Fountain Police Department testified during the preliminary hearing that Staton knew her daughter had ingested the drug the evening of July 12, but didn't take her to the hospital for three hours, instead administering two doses of Narcan." Additionally, the KOAA article details how the mother "called 911 from her iPad around 9 p.m. Tuesday night but hung up instead of asking for help" and when deputies arrived she "told them nothing was wrong and the call was an accident." This deliberate failure to obtain professional medical care for a child in a known drug overdose emergency constitutes medical neglect.
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
All three documents identify Emma Staton as the child's biological mother. She was charged with and pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death. The Gazette article states she "pleaded guilty to three charges: child abuse knowingly or recklessly causing death and two drug possession charges." The drugs that killed the child were in her possession and stored on a bathroom window sill accessible to the child.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
The KOAA article describes the mother's boyfriend as playing a role in the events: "When her boyfriend arrived to drive the mother and daughter to the hospital he saw the deputies and waited until they left to come to the door." He also provided a dose of Narcan and drove the car. The Gazette article refers to "Staton and a friend" who "attempted to drive Acelynn to the hospital." While the boyfriend was not charged, he was peripherally involved in the events surrounding the death, including potentially contributing to the delay in medical care by waiting for deputies to leave.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The mother, Emma Staton, was arrested and charged with child abuse resulting in death, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia (KOAA article). She subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 27 years in prison (CBS News and Gazette articles).
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The KOAA article states that "officers recovered 45 fentanyl pills, 3.2 grams of methamphetamine, and several pipes" from the home and the Hello Kitty bag the mother carried. The possession of drug paraphernalia (pipes) alongside fentanyl pills and methamphetamine strongly indicates personal substance use by the parent/caregiver. The mother was charged with and pleaded guilty to drug possession charges.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text. First, the mother deliberately concealed her daughter's medical emergency from law enforcement: she called 911 but hung up, and when deputies arrived she "told them nothing was wrong and the call was an accident" (KOAA article). The boyfriend also "saw the deputies and waited until they left to come to the door" (KOAA article). This active concealment contributed to a critical three-hour delay before the child received professional medical attention. Second, the mother gathered the drugs into a Hello Kitty bag to take with her rather than leaving them behind, suggesting prioritization of concealing drug evidence. Third, the Gazette article notes this was "the third El Paso County individual to be sentenced to prison for child abuse causing death charges stemming from their child overdosing on fentanyl," suggesting a pattern of child fentanyl deaths in this jurisdiction. Finally, the mother opted to leave sentencing to the court rather than accepting the prosecution's proposed 30-40 year range and received a somewhat lower sentence of 27 years.
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