A Washington, D.C. mother has entered a guilty plea for the death of her 3-year-old child due to fentanyl poisoning. Sasha McCoy, aged 28, pleaded guilty on October 15, 2024, to voluntary manslaughter related to the tragic incident that occurred on October 28, 2022. This development was jointly announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and MPD Chief Pamela Smith.
The U.S. Attorney's Office disclosed that McCoy has been detained since her arrest on February 15, and her plea agreement, pending the court's consent, includes a prison term of 4 to 10 years, followed by five years of supervised release, the usage and mixture of drugs found at the scene, including fentanyl and alprazolam, illuminated the grim reality of substance mishandling in the proximity of vulnerable children.
According to court documents, McCoy had put her daughter, along with another child, to nap in the back bedroom of the residence where they were staying, and upon returning, she discovered her daughter unresponsive. The 3-year-old was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The investigation found a small plastic bag containing pills identified as containing fentanyl and other substances on the bed where the children were sleeping, leading to the conclusion the child died from a lethal intoxication of the drug.
With the guilty plea now public, the U.S. Attorney's Office acknowledged the diligent efforts of the MPD in their investigative work and the prosecuting authority of Assistant United States Attorney Emma McArthur the gravity of the situation is reflected in the fate of McCoy's daughter, and while the plea concludes one chapter of this somber story, it also underscores the ongoing battle against drug misuse and its far-reaching and often devastating consequences.
