On June 15, 2023, King County Sheriff's deputies were called to a residence in Shoreline, Washington, where they found 16-month-old Xhendaya L Johnson unresponsive. The child was pronounced dead, and the King County Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be acute fentanyl intoxication. The manner of death was ruled undetermined, indicating that investigators could not conclusively establish how the toddler was exposed to the lethal dose of fentanyl. The case was investigated by the King County Sheriff's Office and Shoreline Police Department.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
The ME report (WA_23_1659.pdf) lists the cause of death as "Acute fentanyl intoxication." The Decedents-List also states the cause of death as "Acute fentanyl intoxication." The KIRO7 news article states that the "16-month-old Shoreline girl may have died in June due to fentanyl exposure." This constitutes explicit evidence of child drug ingestion or 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)?
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?
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?
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?
Notable Details
The manner of death was ruled "Undetermined" despite the cause of death being clearly identified as "Acute fentanyl intoxication," which is notable because it suggests the Medical Examiner could not determine how the 16-month-old came to be exposed to fentanyl — whether accidentally, through negligence, or through intentional poisoning. The KIRO7 news article places this death in a broader context of a fentanyl epidemic affecting children, noting that "last year 25 people under the age of 20 died from drug abuse, the vast majority linked to fentanyl" and that "prosecutors have seen toddlers, too." The article also mentions a concurrent major drug bust by King County. The investigation was being handled by the King County Sheriff's Office, and the Shoreline Police Chief confirmed the death was "Potentially... fentanyl-related."
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.