A Missouri lady is facing a murder charge in the death of her 14-year-old daughter last month.
Jacquelyn Renee Powers is charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and child death after her daughter died of an alleged fentanyl overdose on Oct. 3 in St. Louis County, Mo., according to an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
According to the affidavit, on that day, the kid complained of a toothache, and Powers gave her a “pill” that she “found in her drawer.”
Powers allegedly told officers she believed it was oxycodone from her own supply from a previous surgery.
Her infant was discovered dead around 10 hours later, according to investigators.
An autopsy revealed that the victim died from a fentanyl overdose. She tested negative for oxycodone.
According to the complaint, Powers allegedly informed officers that she had “traded” oxycodone with her mother in exchange for pills her mother had purchased on the streets. According to the complaint, she informed officers that she was attempting to “‘protect’ her mother from dangerous pills.”
The affidavit does not say if police believe Powers gave her daughter the pills she claimed she received from her mother. It also does not disclose whether Powers was aware of the medicines she allegedly received from her mother.
As of Wednesday afternoon, online court records contained no information on the attorney or the plea.
If you suspect child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week in over 170 languages.