Mother’s Methadone Kills 5-Year-Old Girl

A 5-year-old girl died after drinking black-market methadone her mother kept in the refrigerator, police said.

The mother illegally bought the drug meant to treat heroin addiction and knew her daughter drank it but didn’t call for help until the girl was found dead, said Robert W. Weinhold Jr., a police spokesman.

Instead, Jacquelyn Turner, 28, let her daughter Jasmin go upstairs to bed, Weinhold said.

Investigators awaited lab results for confirmation the child died from a methadone overdose. Prosecutors may need up to a week to decide whether to press charges, Assistant State’s Attorney Timothy J. Doory said.