The grandmother and step-grandfather of an 10-month-old girl were arrested for murder Tuesday night, after allegedly exposing the child to toxic levels of methadone.
Cheryl Kirkwood-Black, 51, and her husband, 42-year-old David Black, both of 409 W. Lexington Ave., were charged following interviews with police, Winchester Police Capt. James Hall said.
The autopsy report for 10-month-old Addysen Brooks Mayes, which was released earlier Tuesday, determined that the child died from “acute toxic effects of methadone,” Hall said.
Methadone is a drug commonly used to treat addiction to opiates, including heroin.
Both Blacks admitted to being methadone users and that they obtained the drugs illegally, Hall said. So far, police have not determined how Mayes ingested the drugs.
“It was a dose large enough to harm an adult,” Hall said.
The Blacks, Mayes and Mayes’ mother, 21-year-old Brooks Ecton of 131 Franklin Ave., were all living together at 409 W. Lexington Ave, Hall said. The Blacks were at home with the child on the night of Oct. 11, while Ecton went out for the evening, according to court documents. When Ecton returned, she said that the child was asleep but had been acting strangely, according to the arrest citation. Ecton said she did not seek any medical attention.
