Winchester Ky,
The couple were at home the night of October 13th, babysitting Kirkwood-Black’s daughter’s baby. When the mom returned she noticed the child breathing strangely, said she was even snoring, and had never done that. The mom Brooks Ecton (20), went to sleep.
But, when she woke and checked on the baby, Addysen was completely unreponsive and not breathing at all. They called 911 who arrived at the home at 409 Lexington Ave. and found the baby was already dead.
Many people thought the baby died from SIDS or some form or sleep apnea perhaps, and the community came together to embrace the family for the incredibly sad loss of such a young life.
Things would do a 360 though. After the baby’s autopsy was complete, a shocking cause of death was announced: Addysen Brooks Mayes died from “accute toxic effects of methadone.” Gone were the sincere sympathies and condolences to the family, suddenly replaced by demands for the death penalty, and being called murderers.
You see, the grandparents Cheryl Kirkwood Black and David Black were active and known drug users when Addysen was left in their care by her 20 -year-old mom, who had gone out to celebrate her birthday with friends. Somehow and someway that baby (who was not even a year old) ingested methadone –enough to harm an adult and now she is dead.
Cheryl and David were each charged with murder, and Cheryl’s daughter, Brooks was charged with child endangerment. All were put in the Clark County Detention Center. I was not sure about the mother at first, but then when I learned she left her precious baby in the care of 2 people she KNEW were drug users, that was enough for me.
That’s like leaving your baby in directly in the path of an oncoming train, and then being shocked when it is hit. I don’t blame the mom for going out to celebrate her birthday, fine, but to leave your child in the care of 2 junkies, it just wasn’t worth it. I’m sorry she lost her baby, I really am, but she gets a huge portion of the blame here and it’s a blame and a guilt that will follow Brooks for the remainder of her life I believe. I am not sure about prison time for her.
As for her mother and stepfather though, they need jail time and hopefully will be able to get clean there and think about how their drug use robbed a baby of her life before it even got started.It’s a shame, a real disgusting shame what drug use is doing to American families and it seems it’s getting worse!
Source:
UNsafe at Home 