On April 10, 2022, 4-year-old Anthony Scott Upshaw Jr. was in his bedroom at a home on Fitzgerald Court in Detroit, Michigan, when his mother, Chavon Boone, who was alone with him, gave him narcotics that caused him to go into cardiac arrest. The child's father, who was sleeping in another room, was awakened by screams and found the child unresponsive. Emergency services were called and Anthony was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner found fentanyl in the boy's system and determined the cause of death was fentanyl toxicity, but the manner of death was ruled indeterminate because it was unknown how the drugs entered the child's system. Over a year later, in May 2023, Boone called 911 and turned herself in, confessing that she had given her son the narcotics that killed him. She was charged with felony murder, first-degree child abuse, and delivery of a narcotic causing death.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The medical examiner report (MI_22_287.pdf) lists the cause of death as "Fentanyl toxicity" with the description of injury as "Consumed drugs." Multiple news articles confirm the child was given narcotics. The WOOD TV article states that Boone "gave him narcotics that caused him to go into cardiac arrest and die."
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 WOOD TV article states: "Boone told police that she was alone with her son on April 10, 2022, when she gave him narcotics that caused him to go into cardiac arrest and die." The Upper Michigan's Source article identifies Boone as a "40-year-old Detroit mother" and the Patch article refers to the child's father being in the home, confirming Boone is the biological mother.
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?
Multiple news articles explicitly report the arrest and charging of Chavon Boone. The Upper Michigan's Source article states: "Chavon Boone was arraigned Sunday in 36th District and later jailed." The Patch article states: "Chavon Caprice Boone, 40, was charged with felony murder, first-degree child abuse, and delivery of a narcotic causing death."
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?
While no document explicitly states that Boone was a drug user herself, the fact that she possessed narcotics containing fentanyl and administered them to her child implies involvement with controlled substances. The WOOD TV article states she "gave him narcotics that caused him to go into cardiac arrest and die" and notes that "it was not known whether Boone knew the narcotics contained fentanyl," suggesting the narcotics may have been obtained for personal use and given to the child.
Notable Details
This case has a notable procedural history. The manner of death was initially ruled indeterminate because authorities could not determine how fentanyl entered the child's system. The case remained cold for over a year until the mother unexpectedly called 911 and confessed. Prosecutor Kym Worthy stated: "There was an unexpected turn of events that brought us to these charges. Everyone deserves not to be forgotten. This child is no longer a cold case statistic." The WOOD TV article additionally notes: "The news release did not clarify whether Boone knew the narcotics contained fentanyl or not," raising questions about the nature of the narcotics she administered.
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