INVERNESS, Fla. — Four people are facing aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect charges after a medical examiner's report found methamphetamine toxicity contributed to a 2-month-old's death.
The Citrus County Sheriff's Office says Kevin Courtney, 25, Stephanie Carroll, 25, Steven Gibson, 52, and Tammy Allison,44, are negligent in the infant's death, which occurred earlier this year.
According to a news release, deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call on March 13 for an unresponsive 2-month-old who was not breathing. The infant was taken from the home to a local hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
That's when the CCSO Special Victim's Unit, DCF, and the State Attorney's Office stepped in. The Medical Examiner's Office also compiled a report showing methamphetamine toxicity contributed to the infant's death.
During interviews, the four adults living in the residence at the time of the infant's death told detectives that "they regularly snorted and smoked methamphetamine in the presence of the deceased child and two other juveniles," according to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.
"This case is an example of the heinous crimes that are investigated by the detectives of the CCSO Special Victim's Unit," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "It also highlights the cooperation between our office, state, and federal agencies in order to bring justice to Citrus County victims, like the precious child in this case. We want to thank our partners at the U.S. Marshals Service for their substantial and continuous support."
Due to the charges and reported confession of drug use, the two other children in the home were removed by DCF and placed with a family member.
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