Liam Sauve
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CANDID ID: NY_22_195
AGE
Infant
STATE
New York
DATE OF DEATH
5/9/2022
DEATH RECORDS
Not Available
STATE REPORTS
Not Available
SUMMARY OF DEATH
Liam Sauve, an 11-month-old boy in Syracuse, New York, died on May 9, 2022, from a fentanyl overdose. A medical examiner found 69 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl in his blood — 23 times the amount fatal to an adult — and concluded he likely went into cardiac arrest within minutes of consumption. Law enforcement determined that his mother, Elizabeth Sauve, and her boyfriend, Quyen Huynh, had been giving the baby fentanyl to calm him down. Both were initially charged with second-degree manslaughter; Sauve ultimately had her felony reduced to a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment in the 2nd degree after completing interim probation. The case also revealed multiple child welfare systemic failures, including the county's delayed fatality reporting and social workers' failure to complete required safety checks.
Contexts/Conditions

Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?

Both documents describe the child's death as a fentanyl overdose. Document 1 states: "Liam had 69 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl in his blood when he died" and that this was "23 times the amount that's fatal for an adult." Document 2 states: "the 11-month-old baby boy who died of a fentanyl overdose."

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)?

Document 1 states that "Sauve tested positive for Benzodiazepines two weeks before Liam's death, when she gave birth to a baby fathered by Huynh." This indicates the sibling was prenatally exposed to benzodiazepines. While this pertains to Liam's sibling rather than Liam himself, it is a mention of prenatal substance exposure within this case's documents.

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?

Document 1 states: "In a visit to the home social workers saw the baby sleeping in a swing, an unsafe sleep environment, according to the report." While this pertains to Liam's sibling rather than Liam himself, it is an explicit mention of an unsafe sleeping environment in the household documented in this case.

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 1 identifies Elizabeth Sauve as Liam's mother and states she was "charged with second-degree manslaughter." Document 1 further states: "Law enforcement officials interviewed Sauve and Huynh and determined they were giving Liam fentanyl to calm him down."

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)?

Document 1 identifies Quyen Huynh as Elizabeth Sauve's "boyfriend" and states he was "charged with second-degree manslaughter." Document 1 also states: "Law enforcement officials interviewed Sauve and Huynh and determined they were giving Liam fentanyl to calm him down." Huynh is not identified as Liam's biological father; the sibling was "fathered by Huynh," and Huynh is consistently described as the mother's boyfriend.

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)?

Document 1 states that "after the birth of Liam's sibling and after Liam's death social workers failed to meet all required actions for the investigations" and that "After the baby's birth the social workers did not ensure Huynh and Sauve had a safe sleeping arrangement for the children, as required." The sibling was born two weeks before Liam's death, and the mother tested positive for Benzodiazepines at that time. These required social worker actions after the birth imply a CPS report or investigation was triggered before Liam's death, likely by the positive drug test at delivery.

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 states: "His mother Elizabeth Sauve, 31, and her boyfriend, Quyen Huynh, 38, were charged with second-degree manslaughter." Document 2 confirms: "Sauve and her boyfriend, Quyen Huynh, both originally faced manslaughter charges for the death of 11-month-old Liam Sauve on May 9, 2022."

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?

Document 1 states: "Huynh has previously been charged with over 20 criminal offenses. Most of these offenses occurred in Florida. The majority of his previous offenses were non-violent burglaries." Additionally, "Huynh was on probation at the time of Liam's death," indicating a prior conviction separate from the current incident.

Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Document 1 states: "Huynh was on probation at the time of Liam's death and had tested positive for fentanyl during his addiction counseling treatment." It also states: "Sauve tested positive for Benzodiazepines two weeks before Liam's death."

Notable Details

The documents describe multiple systemic child welfare failures. Document 1, referencing a state child fatality report, details that: (1) social workers failed to ensure a safe sleeping arrangement after the sibling's birth, (2) social workers failed to check on the safety of the surviving sibling 30 days after Liam's death as required, (3) the county failed to report Liam's death within the required 30 days, submitting the report three months late on August 17, and (4) people named in the abuse/neglect report were not notified until June 6, well past the 7-day requirement. Additionally, Document 2 describes a notable legal outcome: Elizabeth Sauve's original felony charge of criminally negligent homicide was reduced to a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment in the 2nd degree after completing interim probation, resulting in only 2.5 additional years of probation for a death where the child had 23 times the fatal adult dose of fentanyl.

Lives Cut Short