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Dec 26, 2023

Mom sentenced to 20 years for toddler's OD death

by: Jeff Wiehe Posted: Apr 14, 2023 / 12:55 PM EDT Updated: Apr 14,

by: Jeff Wiehe

Posted: Apr 14, 2023 / 12:55 PM EDT

Updated: Apr 14, 2023 / 12:57 PM EDT

WARNING: The following story contains graphic content not suitable for all readers

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – A mother of two whose 2-year-old son died from a fentanyl overdose was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday on neglect charges, according to Allen Superior Court records.

Kiara Johnson previously admitted to having a plastic bag of fentanyl pills around her two children and that both ingested some of the pills while they were in her care, according to court documents.

The 23-year-old called emergency dispatchers on Sept. 29, 2021 when she found that her son and 3-year-old daughter were barely breathing and had blue lips, court documents said.

When medics and Fort Wayne police arrived on the scene, they found the children in the bathtub with the shower on. Both were rushed to a local hospital where the boy, Terris Johnson, died, court documents said.

The girl survived.

According to court documents, Johnson had been sitting on her bed with marijuana and a plastic bag of the fentanyl pills while playing games on her phone when the children came into her bed room.

They climbed on her bed, but she told them to leave and go play in their own room, court documents said.

Later, Johnson heard one of the children coughing and realized the bag of pills was gone.

When she checked on the children, she thought they were sleeping – until she noticed they were barely breathing and had blue lips.

Johnson's then-boyfriend suggested putting the children in the shower, court documents said.

While at the scene, officers reported in court documents that they found at least 10 "M-30" pills on the children's bed and a number of pills scattered around. A test of the pills performed by the Vice and Narcotics units confirmed the pills contained fentanyl.

Last month, Johnson pleaded guilty to a Level 1 felony count of neglect of a dependent causing death and a Level 3 felony count of neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury.

As part of a plea agreement, Allen County prosecutors agreed to drop a Level 6 felony count of possession of a narcotic and a misdemeanor count of neglect, according to court documents.

Friday, a judge sentenced Johnson to 20 years on the more serious neglect charge and 9 years on the lesser neglect charge. The judge ordered those sentences to be served at the same time, however.

Johnson was also given 32 days credit for serving time in Allen County Jail while her case wound through the judicial system.

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