In Knoxville, Tennessee, a tragic turn of events unfolded when a mother introduced fentanyl into a hospital room, leading to the overdose of her family; Stacy Rena Boles, 46, was convicted of Aggravated Child Abuse and Aggravated Child Neglect as a result of her actions. According to a press release from the District Attorney's General Office, the overdose incident, which occurred in April 2022, involved Boles, her husband Dustin, and their sixteen-year-old daughter while visiting UT Medical Center.
The three-day trial revealed that Boles had smuggled a bag containing fentanyl into the hospital room where her husband Dustin Boles was a patient sharing it with him and, at some point, their teenage daughter ingested the drug, hospital staff found all three family members unresponsive, and the ensuing medical emergency reflected the grim reality of fentanyl's grip on Knox County. After the administration of naloxone, all three were revived; however, the teenager now faces a life of permanent disability "While we have made progress reducing the number of overdose deaths in our community, fentanyl remains the most dangerous drug on our streets," DA Charme Allen said in a statement detailed by the District Attorney's General Office press release, with fentanyl and its analogues being the primary substances found in overdose deaths since 2016 in the region.
Stacy Boles is facing a sentence of eight to twelve years in prison without the possibility of parole, as per Class B felony statutes for Aggravated Child Abuse and Neglect. The announcement from DA Allen underscored the severity of introducing such substances to minors, in the wake of the victim's age, Judge Scott Green has scheduled the sentencing for January 15, 2026. The District Attorney's General Office also notes, Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator Leah Graves and Legal Secretary Erin Morrison aided in the prosecution of this case; unfortunately, Dustin Boles, who was charged, has passed away while the case was pending.
