A 13-month-old boy from Ronan, Montana died on September 16, 2023, from acute fentanyl intoxication. His parents, Roberta Hammer (22) and Nyibe Jordan Nguyen (25), brought the unresponsive child to St. Luke Hospital in Ronan after the boy had been put down for a nap around 5 p.m. and was found unresponsive approximately two hours later. He was declared dead 50 minutes after arriving at the hospital. An autopsy determined the cause of death was acute fentanyl intoxication. Hammer allegedly admitted that fentanyl had been smoked at the residence at least 100 times, and Nguyen admitted to using fentanyl in the home after a drug test confirmed his use of both fentanyl and methamphetamine. Both parents were charged with felony negligent homicide and pleaded not guilty.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The news article states that "An autopsy later determined the boy's cause of death was 'acute fentanyl intoxication.'" The 13-month-old child died from fentanyl exposure/intoxication.
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?
The article describes Hammer and Nguyen as a "married couple" and refers to the child as "their 13-month-old child." They are described as "the parents" when speaking to the deputy. Nguyen is the father and is charged with felony negligent homicide for the child's death. He admitted to using fentanyl in the residence, directly contributing to the child's fatal exposure.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The article describes Hammer and Nguyen as a "married couple" and refers to the child as "their 13-month-old child." They are described as "the parents." Hammer is the mother and is charged with felony negligent homicide. She allegedly admitted that "people had smoked fentanyl at the residence at least 100 times" and allegedly spent money on fentanyl, directly contributing to the child's fatal exposure.
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 article states: "Roberta Hammer, 22, and Nyibe Jordan Nguyen, 25, each entered pleas of not guilty in Polson District Court March 28 to felony negligent homicide." Both parents were charged with the child's 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?
The article explicitly details substance use by both parents. Nguyen "initially denied that he and Hammer used anything but marijuana in the residence. When confronted with a drug test showing he had used methamphetamine and fentanyl, he allegedly admitted that he used fentanyl in the residence." Hammer "allegedly admitted that people had smoked fentanyl at the residence at least 100 times." Nguyen also alleged that "Hammer had recently received her '18' money from the Tribes and spent some of it on fentanyl."
Notable Details
The article contains several notable details not addressed by prior questions. First, Nguyen alleged that "Hammer had recently received her '18' money from the Tribes and spent some of it on fentanyl," indicating that tribal per capita payments were used to fund the drug purchases that contributed to the child's death. Second, Hammer allegedly admitted that "people had smoked fentanyl at the residence at least 100 times," suggesting the child was subjected to chronic, repeated fentanyl exposure over an extended period, not just a single incident. Third, an "Interim Judge Robert G. Olson of Hill County" presided over the arraignment in Polson (Lake County), which may reflect jurisdictional complexities related to the case's location on or near the Flathead Indian Reservation.
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