On July 9, 2023, a 1-to-2-month-old baby boy was found unresponsive in a bed in a home on Paris Road in Broad Top Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The child's mother, Jayleigh Long (age 21), and a female household member, Shannon Kinser (age 30), who had been staying at Long's home with her own children, had been using and selling methamphetamine out of the home. An autopsy and toxicology report determined the cause of death was methamphetamine toxicity. Long admitted to using meth prior to putting the baby to bed and to frequently handling the drug with bare hands without washing them before caring for the baby, providing a likely pathway for the infant's fatal exposure. Kinser also admitted to snorting meth the night of the incident before going to sleep with the baby. Both women were charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person, and drug-related offenses, and were held at Bedford County Prison on $800,000 bail each. Three other children present in the home were placed in foster care.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The fatality report (Q4.2023-4.pdf) states "An autopsy revealed the child tested positive for an illegal substance." The WJAC news article reports "a toxicology and autopsy report revealed that the baby died from 'methamphetamine toxicity.'" The WTAJ article confirms "the infant's cause of death was methamphetamine toxicity." This clearly constitutes a child drug 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)?
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?
The fatality report states "the victim was found unresponsive in the bed with the mother and the female household member." Co-sleeping in an adult bed with two adults who were impaired by methamphetamine use constitutes an unsafe sleeping environment for an infant. The WTAJ article further details that "Kinser carried the baby and her phone to the bedroom where she laid the baby on a bed before she went to sleep," confirming the infant was placed in an adult bed for sleep.
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?
The fatality report names "the victim child's mother" as one of the perpetrators. The WJAC article identifies "Long, who is the mother of the baby" and states she "admitted to using methamphetamine just prior to putting the baby to bed, and also stated that she often did not wash her hands after handling the drugs." The WTAJ article confirms Long is the mother who placed the 911 call for "her two-month-old son."
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)?
The fatality report names "a female household member" as a perpetrator alongside the mother. The news articles identify this person as Shannon Kinser, who was living with the mother (Jayleigh Long). Kinser is not described as a relative of the victim child; the WJAC article notes that "Kinser, and her children, had reportedly been staying with Long for an extended period of time." She is a female friend/household member involved in the death.
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)?
The fatality report explicitly states "The family had no prior documented child welfare involvement," which directly addresses the question. While the answer is negative (no prior reports), the topic is explicitly addressed, confirming no history of child protection reports. Setting found to false because there was no history of prior reports — the text confirms their absence.
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 fatality report states "the mother and the female household member had been criminally charged." The WTAJ article details the charges: "one felony count of involuntary manslaughter, four counts of endangering the welfare of children, four counts of recklessly endangering another person, and three other drug-related charges." Both women were arraigned, arrested, and held on $800,000 bail each at Bedford County Prison.
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?
Substance use by caregivers is extensively documented. The fatality report states "the mother and the female household member used the illegal substance on the date of the incident." The WJAC article reports "both Jayleigh Long and Shannon Kinser admitted to frequently using methamphetamine and even selling it out of Long's Broad Top Township home." The WTAJ article details Long saying "she sells meth out of her home" and Kinser saying "she would use meth two to three times a week."
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. First, the WJAC article reports that Long "admitted to using methamphetamine just prior to putting the baby to bed, and also stated that she often did not wash her hands after handling the drugs," providing a likely mechanism for how the infant was exposed to a lethal dose of methamphetamine through skin contact. Second, the WTAJ article describes that Long "sells meth out of her home and had sold the drug several times on Saturday, July 8" and "touches the meth with her bare hands and packages it," indicating the home was an active drug distribution site. Third, the WTAJ article details that meth was being smoked "in a tool room or in the cellar while the kids were at the home" and that one child "would intrude on her during meth deals." These details paint a picture of chronic, severe environmental drug exposure for all children in the household. Additionally, there is a discrepancy in how the fatality report classifies the death as "physical abuse" when the actual cause was methamphetamine toxicity — a categorization that may affect how such cases are classified and tracked in child welfare data systems.
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