A Vancouver mother pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge of first-degree manslaughter in the fentanyl overdose death of her 21-month-old baby in March.
Katherine Richards, 38, appeared Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court on a warrant for the charge. Judge Suzan Clark set her bail at $100,000, and her trial is currently scheduled for Oct. 25.
A victim advocate read to the judge a statement from Richards’ father and stepmother. In it, they asked the judge not to grant Richards bail out of fear she will leave the area or try to harm herself if she’s released. They said they hoped her time in jail would help her reflect and work toward addiction recovery.
Last week, investigators said Richards’ brother told them another family member had bought her a one-way plane ticket to stay with them in Iowa, but he didn’t think Richards had redeemed it. He also said Richards’ husband had since served her with divorce and eviction papers, according to court records.
Richards’ brother said she had said something to him about disappearing to live a normal life again, court records state.
On March 26, Vancouver police officers learned a 21-month-old girl was found dead in her crib, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The child’s mother, Richards, said she put her down for a nap about 3 p.m. Richards said when she checked on the girl about 8 p.m., she was unresponsive, and Richards called 911. The toddler was pronounced dead about an hour later, and she did not appear to suffer any injuries, court records state.
Investigators said the house was unkempt and dirty. In the basement, they found an area with drug paraphernalia and a drug that tested positive for methamphetamine. Richards said she had someone staying with her in the basement, and the toddler never goes down there, according to the affidavit.
Investigators later learned from toxicology testing of the girl’s blood and urine that she had fentanyl and naloxone in her system, court records state. Police said first responders had not administered naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, which is a medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Officers returned to the house April 11, and the child’s father was home. He said he knew Richards had naloxone in the house, but police said he did not mention fentanyl. When they told him of the toxicology results, he said he wasn’t going to tell Richards, according to court records.
Police returned to the house a few weeks later and spoke to Richards. She confirmed she was the sole caretaker for the girl on the day she died. When officers told Richards the toddler suffered a fatal fentanyl overdose, they said Richards replied, “I’m (expletive) careless.” She then said the person staying with the family had been using drugs in the living room and must have dropped some on the floor. Richards denied using fentanyl until after the girl’s death, the affidavit states.
When investigators asked Richards about the girl testing positive for naloxone, they said Richards admitted to giving the child two doses of it. She said she did it in case the girl had been exposed to whatever her house guest had been smoking, according to court records.
Officers questioned the woman staying with the family, and she recalled hearing Richards freaking out in the child’s bedroom on the day the girl died. She said when she entered the room, Richards asked her to grab Narcan. Investigators said when they told the woman the toddler died from a fentanyl overdose, the woman was shocked and emotional for the rest of the interview, court records state.
When police told the woman Richards denied using fentanyl, she said Richards was lying. She’d used fentanyl with Richards in the past, she said, and keeps any of her own drugs in a box in the basement, according to the affidavit.
