Tragically, in Missouri, a mother tried to ease her daughter’s pain by giving her pills she had bought on the street, but the results were very bad. A 35-year-old mother named J.
Powers is charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death after giving her 14-year-old daughter a lethal dose of fentanyl when she thought it was oxycodone.
The event that happened last month has shocked both the community and the authorities. According to court records, the young victim, who was only named “VT” in the records, complained of a toothache on October 3, 2024.
According to reports, Powers responded by giving her daughter a pill she found in a drawer and said she got from surgery she had before. The teenager was found dead about 10 hours later, having overdosed on fentanyl. An autopsy showed that there was no oxycodone in her system.
The investigation by the police into what happened showed a disturbing pattern of choices Powers made. Police say Powers told them she had traded her prescription oxycodone for pills her mother had bought on the street, which is what the probable cause affidavit says.
She put these pills away in a drawer and gave one to her daughter by accident on the day she died. The irony is that she made this mistake because she wanted to “protect” her mother from the dangers of drugs bought on the street.
Adding to the difficulty of the situation, police found more illegal drugs in Powers’ home, along with other children under the age of 18. This could lead to more charges or investigations. After a warrant for Powers’ arrest was issued, she was caught at her home.
She is now being held at the county jail on a $150,000 cash-only bond. Her court case will go on with a hearing on her bond on November 19 and a preliminary hearing on December 11.
Captain J. Morgan was shocked by what happened and said, “This is tragic.” This must not take place. She is 14 years old and has many years ahead of her. The case not only shows how dangerous drugs can be, but it also shows how much parents need to protect their kids’ health and safety.
This terrible event is a sobering reminder of how widespread the opioid crisis is and how it can destroy lives, even when people are just trying to get rid of a toothache.
The community and the victim’s family are left to mourn the tragic death of a young life, while the legal system tries to figure out how to handle a case that was going well until a fatal mistake was made.
