HASTINGS, Minn. — The mother of a 3-year-old boy who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2020 was sentenced Wednesday to four years probation, the Dakota County Attorney’s Office announced.
Queenetta McDaniel, 36, of Maplewood, pled guilty to one count of manslaughter in the second degree on July 24, 2023. The state requested McDaniel be sentenced to 41 months in prison.
“I am disappointed in the court’s decision given the facts of the case,” Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said. “Such a tragic and senseless death due to the negligence of Ms. McDaniel.”
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First responders were called to a West St. Paul apartment on Dec. 7, 2020, on a report of a child not breathing. The child was rushed to Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the boy died of a fentanyl overdose.
Police suspected that McDaniel was under the influence of drugs at the time due to her behavior. A blood sample collected by investigators showed fentanyl and a metabolite of fentanyl present during a toxicology analysis.