On February 5, 2024, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Terrebonne Parish deputies were called to a home in the 100 block of St. Louis Street in Houma, Louisiana, after reports of an unresponsive six-week-old infant. The child's mother, Meghan Ashleigh Cortez (age 30), reported that she and her two children had been sleeping in the same bed when she awoke to find the infant unresponsive. Deputies administered CPR and the child was transported to a hospital, where the infant was later pronounced dead. Cortez, a confirmed heroin user, admitted to using the drug in the hours before the incident, and crime scene investigators found drug paraphernalia in multiple locations within the home. An autopsy by the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office determined the cause of death to be fentanyl overdose, classified as a homicide. Investigators attributed the fatal exposure to close physical contact between Cortez and the infant after she used and handled heroin. Cortez was arrested on June 3, 2024, and charged with negligent homicide.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Multiple sources confirm the child died of a fentanyl overdose. The FOIA document (Document 1) lists the cause of death as "Toxic Effects of Fentanyl." The TPSO press release (Document 3) states the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office "classified the infant's cause of death as homicide by Fentanyl overdose." The KLFY article (Document 2) states the autopsy "determined the cause of death to be a fentanyl 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 KLFY article (Document 2) states that Cortez "told deputies that she and her two children were asleep in the bed when she woke up to find the infant lying next to her unresponsive." The TPSO press release (Document 3) confirms this: "Cortez confirmed information that she and her two children were asleep in the bed, when she awoke and discovered the infant lying unresponsive next to her." The infant was co-sleeping in an adult bed with the mother (who had used heroin hours before) and another small child, which constitutes an unsafe sleeping environment for a six-week-old infant.
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 TPSO press release (Document 3) identifies Meghan Ashleigh Cortez as "the mother of the child" and states: "Detectives continued the investigation into the infant's death, and attribute the death to Cortez having close contact with the infant directly after using and handling the Heroin narcotic." She was arrested for negligent homicide. Multiple sources confirm she is the biological mother and the person responsible for the child's 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?
The TPSO press release (Document 3) states: "Detectives later located and arrested Cortez at her home on June 3, 2024, for charges of Negligent Homicide, per arrest warrant. Cortez was transported to the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex, where she remains jailed on a $500,000 bond." The KLFY article (Document 2) confirms: "On June 3, Cortez was arrested and booked into the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex."
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?
Multiple sources confirm substance use by the mother/caregiver. The TPSO press release (Document 3) states: "Detectives were able to confirm that Cortez is a Heroin user, who admitted to using the drug in the late afternoon hours prior to the incident." The KLFY article (Document 2) similarly states: "Detectives said they later determined Cortez was a heroin user and that she admitted to using just hours before the incident." Additionally, "CSI personnel located evidence of illegal narcotic paraphernalia in multiple locations within the home" (Document 3).
Notable Details
The WWL-TV article (Document 4) contains a notable discussion about the mechanism of fentanyl transfer from mother to infant. The sheriff's office attributes the death to "close contact with the infant directly after using and handling the Heroin narcotic" (Document 3). However, Dr. Corey Hebert, a medical expert, stated: "Fentanyl can actually be transdermal, which means it can go through the skin, especially in a very small baby... I cannot imagine another way that a baby would get fentanyl except through breast milk, but stranger things have happened" (Document 4). This raises important questions about the exact mechanism of exposure—whether through skin contact, breastfeeding, or environmental contamination—which has implications for understanding risk factors in similar cases. Additionally, there is a significant discrepancy in the FOIA document (Document 1) listing the victim's age as "7 months" while all other sources consistently state "six-week-old," which may reflect a data quality issue in the official records.
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.