On January 22, 2023, at approximately 7:15 a.m., police responded to the 700 block of Blue Street in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where 1-year-old Ke'Yana Shontel Swinson was found unresponsive. Emergency medical personnel administered life-saving measures inside an EMS vehicle, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene. The child's death was caused by exposure to fentanyl. Her mother, Tiana Ronaleigh Johnson, was initially charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse but ultimately pleaded guilty in April 2025 to felony involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse, and was sentenced to probation.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Document 3 (Fayetteville Observer) states: "A Fayetteville mother pleaded guilty recently to exposing her 1-year-old daughter to fentanyl, leading to the baby's death in 2023." This clearly indicates the child's death resulted from fentanyl exposure/ingestion.
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?
Document 3 (Fayetteville Observer) identifies the perpetrator as the child's mother: "A Fayetteville mother pleaded guilty recently to exposing her 1-year-old daughter to fentanyl, leading to the baby's death in 2023. Tiana Ronaleigh Johnson, 30, of Fayetteville, entered guilty pleas April 8 to felony involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse in the death of her daughter, Ke'Yana Shontel Swinson."
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?
Document 1 (ABC11) states: "Tiana Johnson, 28, has been charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse." Document 2 (CityView) corroborates this, and Document 3 (Fayetteville Observer) states she later "entered guilty pleas April 8 to felony involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse."
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?
Document 3 (Fayetteville Observer) states the mother pleaded guilty to "exposing her 1-year-old daughter to fentanyl, leading to the baby's death." While the text does not explicitly state the mother was using fentanyl herself, the presence of fentanyl in the home environment to which the child was exposed strongly implies the parent's involvement with the substance.
Notable Details
Document 3 (Fayetteville Observer) reveals that the charges against the mother were significantly reduced from the original second-degree murder charge (Documents 1 and 2) to felony involuntary manslaughter. Additionally, the headline states she was "sentenced to probation for fentanyl death of infant daughter," meaning the mother received only probation for the child's fentanyl-related death. This significant reduction in charges and relatively lenient sentencing outcome may be noteworthy for researchers studying legal consequences in child fatality cases involving drug exposure.
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