A 35-year-old woman from Missouri has been arrested after allegedly giving a 14-year-old girl a lethal dose of fentanyl, leading to the teen’s fatal overdose. The woman, identified as Jacquelyn R. Powers, was taken into custody last week and faces one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death, according to court documents.
Authorities have not revealed the exact relationship between Powers and the victim, referred to in legal filings as “VT.” However, several reports suggest that Powers may have been the child’s mother.
The charges stem from an incident on October 3, 2024, when Powers is accused of giving her daughter a pill to help with a toothache. Powers allegedly found the pill in a drawer and believed it was oxycodone from her own previous surgery. Tragically, approximately 10 hours after taking the pill, the 14-year-old was found dead.
An autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was a fentanyl overdose. Toxicology tests showed no oxycodone in her system, but fentanyl was present, leading investigators to conclude that the pill Powers gave her daughter was laced with the deadly drug.
In an interview with police, Powers reportedly revealed that she had traded some of her prescribed oxycodone for pills purchased on the street. Powers claimed she kept the street drugs in a drawer in an effort to protect her mother from potentially harmful substances. The affidavit also mentioned the presence of other street drugs in Powers’ home, which had other minor children living there at the time.
Following the investigation, a warrant for Powers’ arrest was issued, and she was taken into custody at her St. Louis home on Friday afternoon. Overland Police Department Captain Jim Morgan expressed the tragedy, saying, “This is tragic. She’s 14 and had a lot of years to look forward to.”
Powers is currently being held at the St. Louis County Jail on a $150,000 cash-only bond. She is scheduled for a bond hearing on November 19 and a preliminary hearing on December 11. This case highlights the devastating consequences of fentanyl, a powerful opioid, and the risks associated with illegal drugs.
