Kelsey Haws was sentenced to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide, criminal mistreatment and attempted assault in the fentanyl-poisoning death of her 22-month-old son, Anthony, in their Northeast Portland apartment. Anthony was two months shy of his second birthday when he was exposed to the drug through a plastic straw used to smoke fentanyl.
According to OregonLive.com, Anthony was poisoned on June 19, 2023, while his grandmother watched him as Haws worked a full-time job at a sportswear store near the airport. The grandmother called 911 after finding the toddler unresponsive, and paramedics administered Narcan before taking him to a hospital. Anthony died two days later. The medical examiner listed acute fentanyl intoxication as the cause of death and severe chronic pneumonia as a likely contributing factor.
How the Straw Ended Up Near a Child's Drawing
Detectives found the straw only after Anthony died. Court documents cited by the same outlet say detective Michael Jones told the court that it was in a drawer beside a doodle made by one of Haws' other children, who was 7. The outlet reported that people who smoke fentanyl may retain such straws, sometimes called tooters, to collect residue for later use.
Haws told Jones that Anthony had knocked over the drawer and that she was in a rush and did not inspect it closely while cleaning up. The straw later tested positive for fentanyl traces. Prosecutors also said investigators found four fentanyl pills in a lockbox that was typically kept in the apartment; the pills were marked “loko 4 ever.”
Neighbors' Warnings and a State Agency's Response
Two neighbors had reported concerns to the Oregon Department of Human Services, but the agency took no action before Anthony's death, according to the same account. Investigators said the neighbors described Haws' children as frequently unsupervised, and a search of the apartment found garbage and animal feces throughout the residence. Anthony's father was imprisoned when the boy died and remains incarcerated, the outlet reported.
Anthony's death was not an isolated case in Portland during that period. Court findings show that his fatal poisoning was one of nine pediatric fentanyl overdoses — five of them fatal — reported to Portland police within a single three-month span in mid-2023, according to OregonLive.com's earlier reporting on the case.
A Statewide and National Surge in Pediatric Exposure
The scale of the crisis extends beyond one apartment or one city. Oregon Health & Science University reported that the Oregon Poison Center managed 16 cases of illicit fentanyl exposure in children under 6 in 2023, compared with two in 2021 and none in 2020. The university also discussed a study finding that 82% of pediatric unintentional exposures to illicit fentanyl occurred in the child's home, including 93% of exposures among Oregon children. Nationally, the study found that U.S. poison centers managed 539 cases involving children under 6 in 2023 — a 449% increase over three years and a rise of more than 5,000% since 2016.
What caregivers should do after possible exposure
The Oregon Poison Center advises families to lock up opioids and other potentially dangerous drugs to prevent accidental exposure. According to the Oregon Poison Center, caregivers should call 911 and administer naloxone when someone shows signs of an opioid overdose. The guidance underscores the importance of having naloxone available in homes where opioids may be present and treating suspected overdose symptoms as an emergency.
Sentencing Terms and Haws' Statements to the Court
Haws was sentenced to 70 months in prison for criminally negligent homicide, with concurrent sentences of 19 months for attempted assault and 13 months for criminal mistreatment. She will serve three years of post-prison supervision once released. Oregon Revised Statute 163.145 addresses criminally negligent homicide, according to Public.Law.
Haws accepted responsibility for Anthony's death and told the court she was “choosing to live clean and sober.” Her case manager told the court that she had entered inpatient and outpatient treatment programs and had maintained sobriety since the incident. Charles Mickley discussed the lasting impact of Anthony's death during the proceedings, saying that nothing done in court can bring the boy back.
A Pattern of Prosecutions Across the County
Haws' sentence follows a broader local pattern of felony prosecutions against parents whose drug use led to a child's injury or death. In May 2025, Multnomah County Circuit Court sentenced two other Portland parents to 56 and 75 months in prison for criminal mistreatment and assault after their 3-year-old son suffered permanent brain damage from a home fentanyl exposure, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. Hoodline covered that case in a prior report on a related sentencing.
The article also links to Multnomah County in its discussion of the fentanyl crisis. The article also discusses Oregon House Bill 4002.
