Two-year-old Trinity Balen-Weiher was found unresponsive on November 6, 2024, at her family's home in Homer Glen, Illinois, and was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on November 7 at Silver Cross Hospital. Authorities suspect her death resulted from drug intoxication, as the home was filled with drugs including heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and Xanax — all within reach of the children. Her parents, Edward Weiher (49) and Alexa Balen (27), who both admitted to using drugs, waited approximately four hours after Trinity became unresponsive before calling 911. Instead of seeking emergency help, they googled "how to stop an OD without Narcan" and ordered Narcan via Uber Eats, but it was not correctly administered. The home was described as deplorable, with garbage, rotting food, soiled diapers, human feces and blood smeared on walls, and drugs throughout. Trinity's 6-year-old sister tested positive for fentanyl and heroin. DCFS had multiple prior contacts with the family, including removing Trinity and her siblings from the home in 2023 after it was deemed unfit, and investigating after Trinity was born with drugs in her system. Both parents were initially charged with child endangerment and drug possession, and were later indicted on first-degree murder charges.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Multiple sources describe suspected drug intoxication as the cause of Trinity's death. The CBS News article states: "Authorities suspect Trinity's death was the result of drug intoxication due to the amount of drugs and drug residue that was found throughout the home." The NBC Chicago article states: "Roughly 9 grams of heroin were found inside the home 'within reach of both children.'" Trinity's sister also tested positive for drugs in her system. The parents googled "how to stop an OD without Narcan" when Trinity became unresponsive, further indicating they believed the child was overdosing.
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)?
Multiple documents describe an environment where drugs were accessible to the children. The NBC Chicago article states: "Roughly 9 grams of heroin were found inside the home 'within reach of both children'" and "Nearly two dozen Xanax pills were seen on a bedroom floor." The CBS News article reports "a pile of cocaine was found sitting next to a carton of chocolate milk." Additionally, the Shaw Local article describes the ex-wife's allegations that Edward Weiher would leave children unattended: "leaving the children unattended for up to an hour at a time while he worked" and "would leave the children alone for hours at a time with Balen." The overall environment and parental drug use constituted grossly inappropriate supervision.
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?
The parents delayed calling 911 for approximately four hours after Trinity became unresponsive. The CBS News article states: "the couple waited about four hours before calling police when Trinity became unconscious. Rather than immediately calling 911, they did a google search for 'how to stop an OD without Narcan.'" They eventually received Narcan via an Uber Eats delivery, but "it was not correctly administered." This failure to seek timely and appropriate emergency medical care for a dying child constitutes 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 Shaw Local article states: "DCFS had previously been called to the home after the birth of the baby when hospital employees reported that he was born with drugs in his system." The article then clarifies: "The baby in question is the 2-year-old Trinity who died at 12:24 a.m. Nov. 7 at Silver Cross Hospital." This establishes that Trinity was born with drugs in her system, constituting prenatal substance exposure.
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?
Edward Weiher is identified as Trinity's biological father across all documents. The CBS News article identifies him as "Trinity's father" who was "giving her CPR." Both he and Alexa Balen face charges in connection with Trinity's death. The Shaw Local article describes "Balen and Edward Weiher's shared then 1-year-old child" (Trinity), confirming biological parentage.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Alexa Balen is identified as Trinity's biological mother. The CBS News article identifies her as "Trinity's mother" and refers to "Trinity's parents – 49-year-old Edward Weiher, and 27-year-old Alexa Balen." The Shaw Local article refers to "Balen and Edward Weiher's shared then 1-year-old child" (Trinity). She was present in the home when Trinity was found unresponsive and faces criminal charges.
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)?
Multiple documents confirm extensive prior DCFS involvement. The Shaw Local article states: "DCFS had previously been called to the home after the birth of the baby when hospital employees reported that he was born with drugs in his system." It further states DCFS was called on May 3, 2023 and removed children from the home due to it being "unfit." The Facebook post notes: "DCFS had multiple prior contacts with the family, including a DCFS decision in May 2023 to remove several of Trinity's siblings and half-siblings from the same family home." The CBS News article confirms: "The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services confirmed it has had prior involvement with the family."
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
The Shaw Local article reports that on May 3, 2023, DCFS "removed her children. The agency also removed Balen and Edward Weiher's shared then 1-year-old child" from the home due to it being deemed "unfit." Since Trinity was living with her parents at the time of her death in November 2024, she had clearly been returned after this prior removal, indicating a history of out-of-home placement (foster care or kinship care) prior to the fatal 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?
Both parents were charged in connection with Trinity's death. Initially, both were charged with "felony counts of child endangerment and drug possession" (CBS News). Subsequently, the NBC Chicago article reports: "Weiher and Balen were indicted on first-degree murder charges and appeared in court Monday." The Fox 32 article also confirms the father was "ordered held in custody in connection with the possible overdose death of his 2-year-old daughter."
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 Shaw Local article documents Edward Weiher's prior criminal history: "Edward Weiher has a long record of traffic violations with Will County court documents listing 13 cases on his record between 1992 and 2023, including drag racing, excessive speeding, and running a stop sign. The last of those cases, which involved driving with a suspended license, had not been filed at the time the restriction with his two children was put in place." These cases predate and are separate from the charges arising from Trinity's death.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Multiple sources confirm parental substance use. The Fox 32 article states: "Both adults admitted to using drugs, and their home was found filled with drugs, feces, and bugs." The CBS News article details extensive drug presence: "drugs and filth strewn everywhere" and "a pile of cocaine was found sitting next to a carton of chocolate milk." The NBC Chicago article notes: "significant evidence of narcotics use" and "Roughly 9 grams of heroin were found inside the home."
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the sources. First, the parents' response to Trinity's overdose was extraordinary: rather than calling 911, they googled "how to stop an OD without Narcan" and then ordered Narcan via Uber Eats, which was not correctly administered (CBS News). Second, despite DCFS having removed children (including Trinity herself as a 1-year-old) from the home in May 2023 due to it being deemed "unfit," and despite DCFS being alerted when Trinity was born with drugs in her system (Shaw Local), the children were ultimately returned to parental custody. Third, the NBC Chicago article reveals that both parents were initially arrested on felony charges and "later released," then subsequently indicted on first-degree murder charges following autopsy results, after which they were "released on pretrial conditions under the Illinois Safe-T Act" — raising questions about pretrial release policies in cases involving child deaths. This case represents a significant systemic failure in child protective services, as DCFS had multiple documented contacts and prior removals yet was unable to prevent Trinity's death.
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