Six-year-old Stetson Strickland was found unresponsive on November 26, 2022, while visiting relatives in Lenoir County, North Carolina, during the Thanksgiving holiday. His family had traveled from Whittier in Jackson County. He was transported to UNC Lenoir Health Care, where he was pronounced dead. Toxicology testing revealed the presence of controlled substances, and the cause of death was determined to be poisoning. His father, Glenn Hershel Strickland (age 29), was charged with second-degree murder and three counts of felony child abuse. Two additional family members were also charged: the child's aunt, Brittany Evon Strickland, with felony child abuse, and the child's grandmother, Michelle Evon Strickland, with accessory after the fact. At the time of his arrest for his son's death, Glenn Strickland was already serving an active sentence for involuntary manslaughter.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The medical examiner report (NC_22_222.pdf) states the Cause of Death was "Poisoning" and that "Toxicology results revealed the presence of controlled substances." The WITN article corroborates: "the boy died at the hospital and tested positive for drugs." This is clear evidence of child drug ingestion resulting in death.
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 medical examiner report identifies "Glenn Hershel Strickland" as "the child's father" who "was charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse." The WITN article confirms: "A father has been charged with the murder of his 6-year-old son." The WNCT article also identifies Glenn Hershel Strickland as "The father of the boy."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
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)
The medical examiner report states: "Brittany Evon Strickland (the child's aunt) and Michelle Evon Strickland (the child's grandmother) were later arrested and charged in connection with the death." The WNCT article specifies that Brittany was charged with felony child abuse and Michelle was charged with accessory after the fact.
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 adults were charged. The medical examiner report states the father Glenn Hershel Strickland "was charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse." The WNCT article states Brittany Evon Strickland "was charged with felony child abuse" and Michelle Evon Strickland "was charged with accessory after the fact."
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 WNCT article states that Glenn Hershel Strickland "is currently serving an active sentence in the N.C. Department of Correction for involuntary manslaughter, according to the sheriff's office." This involuntary manslaughter conviction is a prior criminal history entirely separate from and predating the current fatal incident involving his son.
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
While the text does not explicitly state the parent/caregiver used substances, the cause of death was "Poisoning" from controlled substances that were present in the child's system, and the father was charged with second-degree murder. The WNCT article notes the child "tested positive for the presence of controlled substances" and the father was charged. The presence of controlled substances in the environment of a 6-year-old child, resulting in a fatal poisoning, strongly implies substance use or possession by the parent/caregiver.
Notable Details
Two notable details emerge from the text. First, the WNCT article reveals that Glenn Hershel Strickland "is currently serving an active sentence in the N.C. Department of Correction for involuntary manslaughter," meaning the father had a prior conviction for killing someone before his son's death — a significant pattern of fatal harm. Second, there is a discrepancy between the medical examiner's official ruling of the manner of death as "Undetermined" (per NC_22_222.pdf) and the criminal charge of second-degree murder filed against the father, suggesting the forensic evidence may not have definitively established intent or criminal causation even as law enforcement pursued homicide charges.
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.