Yesterday, a Napa couple pleaded not guilty in Napa County Superior Court to charges that their 3-year-old son, Zayden, died after exposure to fentanyl. In a brief appearance in Department 1, Belen Marie Shroyer and Timothy Daniel Schultz entered their pleas. Prosecutors say Shroyer is being held without bail, while Schultz remains in custody on a $1 million bail amount. The case stems from an Aug. 15, 2024 incident in which deputies say the child was found unresponsive, then later pronounced dead at Queen of the Valley Medical Center.
Court hearing and pleas
According to the Napa Valley Register, Judge Elia Ortiz presided over the March 19 hearing, where both defendants entered not guilty pleas and the court denied Shroyer’s request to be released on her own recognizance. Prosecutors have charged Shroyer with first-degree murder along with related child-abuse counts and have added several special allegations. The Napa County District Attorney's newsletter states that Chief Deputy DA Taryn Hunter and Deputy DA Kristen Orlando are prosecuting the case.
Forensic findings, prosecutors highlighted
The county coroner’s toxicology report found 13 nanograms of fentanyl per milliliter of blood, an amount authorities say can be fatal, and investigators reported fentanyl and methamphetamine residue on the child’s clothing and pacifier cases, according to The Press Democrat. Prosecutors told the court they intend to rely on those toxicology findings, evidence collected at the scene and witness statements as key parts of their case at trial.
Trial date and special allegations
The court has set jury trials to begin Jan. 25, 2027, with an estimated six-week schedule, according to the Napa Valley Register. Prosecutors have further alleged that the home where the boy was found contained unsafe and unsanitary conditions and that items seized from the residence will be shown to jurors.
Legal stakes and wider context
Shroyer also faces misdemeanor possession counts and a separate allegation that she used narcotics while pregnant, and prosecutors say Schultz has multiple prior drug-related arrests dating back to 2010, according to the Napa County District Attorney's newsletter. The case is unfolding amid a national fentanyl crisis, with provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data indicating that synthetic opioids were involved in roughly seven in ten overdose deaths in 2023, a statistic public-health officials cite when underscoring the particular risk fentanyl poses to children.
