On February 14, 2023, a 2-year-old boy, identified through an obituary as Jaymason Wyatt Lee Kirk, was found unresponsive at a residence at Greentree Court lot #22 in Boyd County, Kentucky. The child was transported to Kings Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. An investigation by Kentucky State Police, including a search warrant, revealed the presence of fentanyl in the room where the child was found, and investigators determined the toddler had died as a result of ingesting fentanyl. The child's mother, Brittany Copodonna, age 33, was indicted by the Boyd County Grand Jury on March 21 and arrested on March 23. She was charged with first-degree manslaughter, first-degree wanton endangerment, and possession of cocaine, and was held at the Boyd County Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
All three documents explicitly state the 2-year-old died after ingesting fentanyl. Document 1 (WSAZ) states: "Investigators determined the toddler had ingested fentanyl." Document 2 (Kentucky.com) states: "The investigation showed the toddler died as a result of ingesting fentanyl." The Boyd County Coroner in Document 2 also called the boy "the youngest overdose death the county has seen."
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?
Document 2 (Kentucky.com) explicitly states: "Copodonna is the mother of the boy who died." She was charged with first-degree manslaughter, first-degree wanton endangerment, and possession of cocaine in connection with his 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?
All three documents confirm Brittany Copodonna was arrested and charged. Document 1 (WSAZ) states: "Copodonna was transported to the Boyd County Detention Center and charged with manslaughter, wanton endangerment, and possession of a controlled substance." Document 3 (Fox8live) states: "police arrested Brittney Copodonna, 33, for the death of the child."
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?
Copodonna, the child's mother, was charged with possession of cocaine (Documents 2 and 3) and fentanyl was found in the room where the child was found (all documents). Document 2 states she was charged with "possession of cocaine" and Document 1 references "possession of a controlled substance." These charges, combined with fentanyl being present in the child's living environment, strongly imply substance use by the caregiver.
Notable Details
Document 2 (Kentucky.com) notes that Boyd County Coroner Mark Hammond stated the boy was "the youngest overdose death the county has seen in his time with the office, dating to 2008." The article also provides broader context about Kentucky's fentanyl crisis, noting 2,250 fatal overdoses in Kentucky in 2021, a 14.5% increase over 2020, with fentanyl detected in more than 70% of those deaths. This contextualizes this child's death within a systemic crisis.
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