(RepublicanView.org) – The parents of a toddler who died after accidentally ingesting drugs that were within reach of her crib accepted a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter and child abuse. They were just recently sentenced for their role in her death.
The mother, Anna E. Raines, 30, said she left her 22-month-old daughter with Jesse A. Gunn, 38, the girl’s father, so she could go purchase drugs from her dealer around 2 AM. When she returned home nearly 8 hours later, the toddler was unresponsive. Raines called 911, and the toddler was pronounced dead six minutes after emergency medical services arrived. First responders described their living space as in “disarray.”
Raines and Gunn were taken into custody immediately. Paramedics on the scene told investigators that it appeared the child had been dead for some time, as lividity, which is when blood settles in the body after death, had already set in. Her limbs were also cold by the time emergency responders arrived. Investigators also noted that the girl’s crib was filled with loose change, cigarette butts, and her blankets were soaked with urine.
The room they were living in contained boxes of syringes, both used and unused, as well as heroin capsules and Xylazine, a tranquilizer used by veterinarians that is often used to cut heroin. The room also had an extremely full litter box as well as dirty dishes, trash, and clothing strewn about the room.
The child’s autopsy report indicates she died from a combined overdose of fentanyl and Xylazine, with her exposure to nicotine as a contributing factor.
The couple lived in the home of Raines’s father, Timothy Lee Raines, who is a family physician. Though authorities initially said there was no reason to believe Timothy Lee Raines was involved in the death of his granddaughter, he was later arrested and charged with disregard for life. His next court appearance is scheduled for early December.
Both Raines and Gunn were sentenced to 11 years each, with 10 years of supervision after they are released.
Copyright 2023, RepublicanView.org
