Pierce County Sheriff's detectives are searching for a Puyallup father accused of first-degree manslaughter in the death of his 5-year-old son, more than a year and a half after the boy died from fentanyl exposure. Suspect Kyler Lawrence allegedly fled the scene before deputies arrived at the family's home in March 2025, and investigators say a felony warrant was only issued this week after detectives obtained new information in the case.
The child, identified by the Pierce County Medical Examiner as Brentlee Lawrence, died on March 13, 2025, at a residence in the 14900 block of 66th Avenue Court East in Puyallup. The Pierce Co Sheriff
announced the wanted person alert on Tuesday, stating that detectives are attempting to locate Lawrence in connection with his son's death. According to the sheriff's office, Lawrence's whereabouts were unknown at the time deputies responded to the scene, which investigators say delayed the ability to establish probable cause against him until detectives developed new evidence nearly two years later, as reported by the
Pierce County Sheriff's Office
.
Toxicology testing by the Pierce County Medical Examiner confirmed the presence of fentanyl, norfentanyl, and 4-ANPP in the boy's system prior to his death, according to KING 5 News. Court documents filed in May 2025 showed the child had been living in a home without running water or electricity, and that Child Protective Services had received at least two prior reports regarding the boy being left unattended, the station reported.
Mother Already Facing Manslaughter Charge
Brentlee's mother, 32-year-old Jordan Shank, was arrested in May 2025 and pleaded not guilty to first-degree manslaughter in Pierce County Superior Court, where bail was set at $750,000, according to FOX 13 Seattle. Lawrence was not charged alongside Shank at the time, since he had already left the scene before deputies arrived, a gap that investigators say kept the case against him open until this week's warrant.
Family members told reporters in May 2025 that Brentlee had spent his first 10 months of life in foster care before being returned to his parents, prompting relatives to publicly call for accountability from state child-protection officials, per a report from MyNorthwest. That history, paired with the prior CPS contacts described in court filings, has fueled questions among relatives about how the boy ended up back in a home later found to be without basic utilities.
Under Washington law, first-degree manslaughter is a Class A felony that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and up to a $50,000 fine, according to defense firm Melvin & Torrone, PLLP. If located and charged, Lawrence would face that same statute already being applied to Shank.
Anyone with information on Kyler Lawrence's whereabouts is asked to contact Pierce County Sheriff's detectives. The case remains an active search as of this week's alert, with no indication from authorities that Lawrence has been located.
