Three people have been arrested and accused of murder in the early March death of a 5-year-old girl in Ferndale, according to a Thursday city of Ferndale news release.
Melissa Welch, Cody Curtis Craig and Michael Wayne Doane were all booked into the Whatcom County Jail on April 13 on suspicion of first-degree murder.
The 5-year-old child died March 8 due to a "very high and fatal amount" of fentanyl in her bloodstream, according to the news release. Ferndale police will not be releasing the child's name "out of deference to the family," Riley Sweeney, a city of Ferndale spokesperson, told The Bellingham Herald.
The Whatcom County Medical Examiner's Office and Ferndale police had been investigating the child's death since early March, The Herald previously reported.
The Herald has reached out to the medical examiner's office for more information regarding cause and manner of the girl's death.
Welch and Craig were arrested April 13 in the 3300 block of Northwest Avenue in Bellingham, while Doane was arrested at his home in the 2300 block of Douglas Road, according to the news release.
Welch appeared to have a medical problem while en route to the jail. The arresting officer pulled over, requested medical assistance and Welch was taken to the hospital for evaluation as a precaution, according to Sweeney.
Welch was then taken to the jail, Sweeney said.
The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office and the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force helped Ferndale police with the arrests, according to the release.
Child's Death
Ferndale police were initially called to Doane's residence on Douglas Road on March 8 for a death investigation, Sweeney said.
Information on who placed the 911 call or whether life-saving measures were taken once officers arrived was not immediately available.
The child, who was an Eagleridge kindergarten student in the Ferndale School District, died at Doane's residence, according to the release and previous reporting in The Herald.
Doane and Welch are the child's parents, while Craig is Welch's boyfriend, according to the release.
Investigators determined the 5-year-old's death was due to her having "a very high and fatal amount of fentanyl in her blood."
Evidence indicated the girl accessed fentanyl from the residence before her death, the release states. When asked how the child may have accessed the fentanyl or how it got into her blood, Sweeney said Thursday that he did not immediately have that information.
Fentanyl, methamphetamine, methadone and drug paraphernalia consistent with the consumption of fentanyl were found during a search of Doane's residence. The drugs and paraphernalia were found in areas that were accessible to the 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old sibling, according to the release.
Investigators determined Doane, Welch and Craig were all present the night of the child's death. Evidence indicated all three had used fentanyl while at the residence.
Welch and Craig also distributed fentanyl in the days after the 5-year-old's death, according to the release.
"These circumstances manifested an extreme indifference to the lives of the children present. The conduct of Melissa Welch, Cody Craig and Michael Doane created a grave risk of death to the children present and thereby caused the death of the victim," the city's news release states.
Ferndale police and Child Protective Services relocated the 8-year-old sibling, who is now safely with family members, Sweeney said.
Recognize, Help During Opioid Overdose
Opioid-related overdoses and overdose deaths are rising both locally and nationally.
Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood said recently that the city is seeing an average of 2.5 overdoses a day — a 70% increase from last year, as fentanyl use has risen, The Herald previously reported.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Two milligrams of fentanyl, which is roughly the size of a few grains of sand, can be lethal.
Other common opioids include heroin, morphine, OxyContin and Percocet.
Anyone using opioids can be at risk for an opioid-related overdose, but people who use drugs after they stopped using drugs for a few days, people who mix opioids with other drugs or alcohol and people who are alone when using drugs are more likely to overdose, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
Signs of an opioid overdose include loss of consciousness or ability to talk; slow, shallow breathing; unresponsive to shaking, yelling or pain; blue lips on a person with a lighter skin color or ashy or white lips on a person with a darker skin color; slow or erratic pulse, or lack of pulse and other symptoms, The Herald previously reported.
If you suspect someone is experiencing an opioid overdose, don't hesitate to act. Call 911 and then try to wake the person up by shaking them or shouting their name to see if they respond.
Administer naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, if available, and stay with the person until emergency first responders arrive.
Naloxone is a medication used to reverse the effects of opioids and is often used during suspected opioid overdoses. Naloxone comes in either an injectable form or as a nasal spray. One kit usually has two doses.
There are multiple ways to get naloxone in Whatcom County and across Washington state.
If you're worried about being arrested or sued for using naloxone, calling 911 or providing aid while someone is overdosing, there are several laws in Washington that protect you.
Under the state's Good Samaritan Law, if you seek medical help for someone having an overdose, neither one of you can be charged for having or using a small amount of drugs.
The law does not apply to outstanding warrants, controlled substance homicide, probation or parole violations or other crimes besides drug possession. A judge can take your actions to provide aid into account during sentencing, though.
