Solomon Thomason, a 1-year-old boy in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, died on January 27, 2023, from a fentanyl overdose. His mother, Tiffany Thomason, 40, reported that she had breastfed Solomon and put him in bed for a nap before finding him unresponsive and face-down. However, the child's father gave a conflicting account, stating he found the child first, lying on his back and blue in the face. The autopsy revealed Solomon had 87 nanograms of fentanyl per milliliter in his system—approximately seven times the lethal dose for an adult. The mother told investigators that her sister had died of an overdose the previous year and that she had recently retrieved her sister's belongings from storage, suggesting the child may have come into contact with fentanyl from those items. Notably, the mother also asked first responders not to administer adrenaline to her unresponsive child. Tiffany Thomason was subsequently arrested and charged with negligent homicide, with bond set at $50,000. The manner of death was officially ruled an accident.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
All three documents explicitly reference the child's death from a fentanyl overdose. The FOIA document (LA_23_292_FOIA.pdf) states "Cause of Death: Fentanyl Overdose." The AP News article states "The coroner's office said Thomason's baby had 87 nanograms of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid more lethal than heroin, per milliliter." The WBRZ article states "Solomon had enough of the drug in his system to kill an adult seven times over."
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?
The biological mother, Tiffany Thomason, was arrested and charged with negligent homicide for the child's death. The AP News article states: "Tiffany Thomason, 40, faces a charge of negligent homicide in the case." The WBRZ article confirms she was the child's mother and was in the home caring for him at the time, stating: "Thomason told officers that she had breastfed Solomon and put him in bed for a nap sometime before he was found dead."
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 mother, Tiffany Thomason, was arrested and charged with negligent homicide. The AP News article states: "Tiffany Thomason, 40, faces a charge of negligent homicide in the case." The WBRZ article confirms: "Thomason was booked Thursday on a charge of negligent homicide. Her bond was set at $50,000."
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?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge that are not captured by the preceding questions. First, the WBRZ article reports that the mother "asked first responders not to give her unresponsive child adrenaline," which is a suspicious and unusual request. Second, the father's account of finding the child contradicted the mother's: the mother said "she was the first to find the infant unconscious and face-down in his bed" while the father said "he found the child first and that the infant was lying on his back and blue in the face." Third, the AP News article provides important systemic context, noting that Solomon was the third child in the community to die from a fentanyl overdose in approximately 12 months, and that following prior fentanyl deaths of two toddlers, "The head of Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services resigned nearly two weeks after the second child's death." These prior deaths had "launched demands for reform in the state department, which is tasked with keeping children safe."
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