A 1-year-11-month-old Black female, known by the nickname "Toots," died on May 28, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri, from the toxic effects of fentanyl. The manner of death was ruled as "could not be determined" by the Jackson County Medical Examiner. No specific details about how the child was exposed to fentanyl are available in the documents. She was one of seven children ages 2 and under in Jackson County who died from fentanyl in 2022, and one of three who died within the same week in late spring of that year. Her obituary described her as having "a smile of gold" who loved CoComelon, "Baby Shark," and cheeseburgers.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The medical examiner report (MO_22_545.pdf) states the cause of death as "Toxic effects of fentanyl." The news article corroborates that dozens of babies and toddlers have died from fentanyl overdoses, and the child matching this case ("Toots," died May 28, 2022) is included in that group.
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)?
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?
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?
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?
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?
Notable Details
The news article reveals that this child was one of three children who died from fentanyl within one week of each other in late spring 2022 in Jackson County (she died May 28; another child died June 1; and another June 4). It also reports that the Jackson County prosecutor was unaware of four of the seven fentanyl child deaths in her county that year, only learning about them from The Star's investigation. The prosecutor stated: "It is shocking — kids shouldn't die... When I hear something like this, it kind of makes my hair fall out." This points to a systemic gap in reporting and coordination between the medical examiner's office and the prosecutor's office.
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.