Twenty-month-old J'ahrei Paul died on October 31, 2022 (Halloween), in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from acute fentanyl toxicity while in the care of his father, Charles Lee. His mother, Ja'Mira Paul, was incarcerated in Texas on drug charges at the time. Ten days before the death, an anonymous caller warned the DCFS child abuse hotline that drugs were being used in the home, but the case fell through the cracks when the assigned caseworker resigned without making contact and the supervisor who needed to reassign the case was on sick leave. The father called a family member when the baby stopped breathing; the child was taken to Our Lady of the Lake North hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police searched the father's residence and found needles and insulin but no diapers, formula, or baby items. The father fled after the child's death and remained at large. An arrest warrant was issued for Charles Lee on charges of negligent homicide and second-degree cruelty to juveniles. The death was the second fentanyl overdose death of a child on DCFS's watch in six months, leading to the resignation of the DCFS Secretary and calls for federal oversight of the agency.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The FOIA document states the cause of death was "Acute Fentanyl Toxicity." The Advocate reports the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office confirmed "the baby died from 'acute fentanyl toxicity.'" WAFB reports "toxicology results reveal the baby had fentanyl in his system when he died." The child died from fentanyl ingestion/overdose.
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)?
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?
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)?
The Advocate states "Paul was born premature and substance-exposed." WAFB further details that "DCFS previously investigated the mother of J'ahrei Paul due to marijuana use during her pregnancies. Louisiana law requires the Department of Children and Family Services to initiate an investigation of neglect when a newborn is exposed to any illegal substance."
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?
WBRZ identifies "Charles Lee, the father of J'ahrei Paul" and reports a warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of "negligent homicide and second-degree cruelty to juveniles." Baton Rouge Police stated: "We learned the dad, Charles Lee had something to do with it." The Advocate notes the child was in his father's care at the time and "police searched Paul's father's house and they found needles and insulin but no diapers, formula or other baby items." WAFB confirms "the children were residing with their father at the time of the intake."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
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)?
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?
The Advocate explicitly states: "Paul was born premature and substance-exposed."
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The Advocate states: "The agency had validated reports of abuse or neglect against Paul's mother in 2016, 2018 and 2021." Additionally, "Paul's family already had a lengthy history with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services." WAFB reports: "DCFS previously investigated the mother of J'ahrei Paul due to marijuana use during her pregnancies." An anonymous call about drug use in the home was also received on October 21, 2022, ten days before the child's death.
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?
WBRZ reports: "Charles Lee, the father of J'ahrei Paul, has had a warrant issued for his arrest for over a month. According to arrest documents, the warrant was signed Nov. 4 and called for Lee's arrest on one charge each of negligent homicide and second-degree cruelty to juveniles." Charges were filed against the father in connection with the child's death.
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?
The Advocate states the mother "was jailed in Texas on drug charges" at the time of the child's death. WAFB confirms "the mother was incarcerated in Texas during the time of this anonymous report and had been since at least August 2022." These drug charges in Texas are separate from and predate the child's death on October 31, 2022.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Multiple documents reference substance use by parents/caregivers. The Advocate states: "Paul's mother and grandmother were using drugs, a caller said." The mother was investigated for "marijuana use during her pregnancies" (WAFB). The mother was "jailed in Texas on drug charges" (The Advocate). The Advocate also notes: "caseworkers wrote that Paul's mother was noncompliant" with services. Regarding the father, The Advocate reports police found "needles and insulin" at his home, and both "parents have histories of drug use." The DCFS statement in WAFB notes validated reports against the mother and the family was in drug treatment-related services.
Notable Details
Multiple documents describe critical systemic failures at DCFS that directly contributed to this child's death. WAFB reports that the caseworker assigned to the anonymous tip about drug use in the home resigned, and the case was never reassigned: "the employee who was working Paul's case resigned recently and that the case was never reassigned to another worker." The DCFS official statement in WAFB explains: "On Friday, October 28, 2022 she sent an email to her manager advising of no contact on this case. The manager was on sick leave on Friday the 28th, and returned to work on Monday, October 31. After testifying in court proceedings, she returned to the office and began reviewing emails and reassigning cases. In the process of doing this, she received notification that J'ahrei died." This was the second nearly identical failure in months — 2-year-old Mitchell Robinson III had also died of fentanyl overdose after a DCFS worker's caseload was not reassigned. The death led directly to the resignation of DCFS Secretary Marketa Walters and Deputy Secretary Rhenda Hodnett, and the governor ordered a "top-to-bottom review" of the agency. Civil rights attorney Ron Haley called for federal oversight of DCFS. The father, Charles Lee, fled and had not been located despite having an active arrest warrant for over a month.
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