The following article appeared in The Marion Star
Deaths of young children are among the worst cases first responders can encounter on the job. That’s made the last two months especially difficult for personnel in Marion County.
Six-month-old Aaden Mannering died on June 19 and 2-month-old Lithariel Sprow died on July 20. On July 19 and 24, an 18-month-old overdosed after apparently eating Percocet pills, but she survived. Marion police Maj. Jay McDonald said the two overdoses were “extremely dangerous.”
Marion County Children Services and either the police or the Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigated these cases, and criminal charges have been filed in connection with all three.
“It’s definitely been a difficult couple months,” said Children Services Executive Director Jacqueline Ringer. “I’ve not seen anything similar to this in my 17 years with the agency.”
Click here to read more of this story from The Marion Star.