On October 28, 2022, three-year-old Journey McCoy died from fentanyl and fluorofentanyl intoxication after ingesting her mother Sasha McCoy's Percocet pills, which were laced with fentanyl and left on the bed where the child was napping. McCoy, a daily Percocet user, had put her children down for a nap and fallen asleep on the couch. When she later checked on Journey, the child was unconscious with yellow mucus coming from her mouth. Bystanders helped rush the child to United Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 5:09 p.m. Police found fentanyl-laced pills on the bed where Journey had been sleeping. McCoy was eventually arrested on February 15, 2024, initially charged with first-degree murder, and ultimately pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. The family had prior child protective services involvement, including a 2020 incident where Journey ingested marijuana and a 2021 case involving a newborn sibling exhibiting withdrawal symptoms.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The ME report (DC_22-03262.pdf) lists the cause of death as "Fentanyl and Fluorofentanyl Intoxication" and the sub manner of death as "Intoxication." The WUSA9 article states McCoy was "charged in the death of a three-year-old child from fentanyl poisoning." The Washington Post article states the child "ingested her mother's Percocet that was laced with fentanyl and had been left on the bed where the child was napping."
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)?
The WUSA9 article describes McCoy giving her daughter a Jell-O cup and going "back to sleep" at 8:30 a.m., then being "awakened to both of her children in the refrigerator" around 1 p.m. — meaning the children were unsupervised for hours. McCoy's pills were stored in her "pants or jacket pocket" and were accessible on the bed where the child was placed to nap. Additionally, prior CFSA records note that in September 2020, "social workers went to the home to follow up on the report, they found three children unsupervised inside the home. McCoy told CFSA workers she went to smoke a joint and a cigarette at a neighbor's house." The Washington Post similarly references McCoy being "alleged to have left two of her children alone."
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)?
The WUSA9 article states: "In August 2021 a similar case was opened after McCoy's newborn had been experiencing symptoms of withdrawal. McCoy told police that she had been using Percocet daily, including throughout her pregnancy. The baby tested positive for marijuana, but negative for Percocet despite symptoms of withdrawal." This documents prenatal substance exposure for a sibling of the deceased child. The Washington Post article similarly states: "Child Protective Services referred McCoy to substance abuse treatment after a new baby was born going through withdrawal."
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 WUSA9 article states: "they found two blue pills and half an oval pill on top of the bed where she placed her child down for a nap." The Washington Post similarly describes finding "two round Percocet pills stamped with an 'M' and half of an oval-shaped Xanax pill" on the bed where Journey was napping. Fentanyl-laced pills were directly on the sleeping surface of a 3-year-old child, constituting 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?
Sasha McCoy is the biological mother of Journey McCoy. She was charged with and pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in her daughter's death. The WUSA9 article states: "Sasha McCoy was arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder in the death of her daughter on October 28, 2022." The Washington Post (October 2024) confirms: "A District woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter in the 2022 death of her 3-year-old daughter."
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 prior CFSA/CPS reports are documented. The WUSA9 article states: "In September 2020, the deceased child had ingested marijuana during a party McCoy was hosting. When social workers went to the home to follow up on the report, they found three children unsupervised inside the home." It also states: "In August 2021 a similar case was opened after McCoy's newborn had been experiencing symptoms of withdrawal." The Washington Post confirms these prior reports, noting CFSA "could not prove substance abuse but cited her for inadequate supervision" in 2020 and "referred McCoy to substance abuse treatment after a new baby was born going through withdrawal" in 2021. The 2021 case "remained open until February 3, 2022, eight months before her child passed away."
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 WUSA9 article states: "On February 15, Sasha McCoy was arrested and charged with first-degree felony murder in the death of her daughter." The Washington Post (October 2024) reports she ultimately "pleaded guilty on Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter in the 2022 death of her 3-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?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The WUSA9 article states McCoy "admitted to using Percocet and smoking marijuana. She told officials she had been using Percocet on a daily basis and had taken some the morning her child passed away." The article also reports a witness stated "McCoy has a history of drug abuse and is known in the neighborhood to use drugs and is constantly high." The Washington Post corroborates, noting McCoy told police she had seven Percocet pills and quoted her saying "you just pop'em, pop'em and pop'em." Additionally, her statement at the hospital — "I am going to get high as a motherf***er when I leave" — further confirms active substance use.
Notable Details
Several substantive details emerge from the text that are not captured by preceding questions. First, D.C. Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) had at least two prior substantiated contacts — a 2020 incident in which Journey herself ingested marijuana, and a 2021 case involving McCoy's newborn exhibiting withdrawal symptoms — yet both were closed with intervention plans before Journey's death, raising systemic questions about the adequacy of child protection follow-up. The WUSA9 article explicitly frames this: "The case remained open until February 3, 2022, eight months before her child passed away from an accidental overdose." Second, at the hospital after her daughter's death, McCoy told a social worker: "not right now, this is not the time…I am not going to lie, I am going to get high as a motherf***er when I leave" and later physically attempted to consume evidence pills from the bed, per WUSA9. Third, the final autopsy results took nearly seven months (completed May 11, 2023) and McCoy was not arrested until approximately 16 months after the death (February 15, 2024), prompting the WUSA9 article to ask: "why did it take the district nearly a year and a half to arrest McCoy?" Fourth, the ME report identifies the cause of death as "Fentanyl and Fluorofentanyl Intoxication," listing fluorofentanyl — a fentanyl analogue — which was not mentioned in any of the news coverage. Fifth, McCoy was initially charged with first-degree felony murder but ultimately pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office told the Washington Post she "could not recall a previous case of a parent charged with murder in a child's fentanyl overdose," suggesting the case may have been precedent-setting in the District.
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