Oxford Mother Charged After Autopsy Reveals Fentanyl in Child’s System

A mother has been arrested in connection with the death of her 10-month-old baby.

According to the Oxford Police Department, officers responded on Sept. 15 to an apartment complex on Anchorage Road for an unresponsive infant. The baby was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead by medical personnel.

The Mississippi Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined the cause of death as Fentanyl toxicity.

Lafayette County Coroner Rocky Kennedy said the “etiology of the Fentanyl toxicity” was still being determined through the investigation.

The findings from the autopsy, coupled with the ongoing investigation by the Oxford Police Department, lead to the arrest of the child’s mother, Ebonee White, 31, of Oxford.

White was taken into custody and charged with manslaughter-culpable negligence. She was taken to the Lafayette County Detention Center where she was booked on a $100,000 bond.

“This case highlights why law enforcement has urged our community to stay away from this drug. Fentanyl has claimed the lives of too many community members,” said Chief Jeff McCutchen. “We must continue our efforts to combat the access and distribution of Fentanyl on our streets. Our thoughts and prayers go out to every family member that has lost a loved one to Fentanyl.”

Staff report