Parents face charges in child’s death

[Photo courtesy Marion County Sheriff’s Office]

The biological parents of a 15-month-old toddler, who authorities say died March 1 from acute drug toxicity, have been arrested and charged in his death after detectives found illegal drugs in the room where the child died.

Daniel Brady Miller, 48, and Kelli Nicole Starling, 36, both were arrested on May 1 on a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child in the death of Daltin Lee Miller.

They are being held at the Marion County Jail on no bond.

The child died as a result of “acute toxicity due to the combined effects of fentanyl, methamphetamine and xylazine” with “a significant amount of drugs in the victim’s blood and liver” indicated the drugs were “directly ingested,” a Marion County Sheriff’s Office media release stated.

The release stated that xylazine is a tranquilizer used by veterinarians, but it is also used to “enhance the effects” of fentanyl.

Daltin was pronounced deceased at the scene in the 1400 block of Northeast 28th Lane by responders from Marion County Fire Rescue around 4:15 p.m. after the parents called 911 and said they were sleeping and noticed the child was “not breathing,” according to the release.

The parents’ said Daltin was “sick congested and having trouble sleeping,” the release stated.

MCSO Det. Joesph Miller and Inspector Daniel Pinder, who interviewed the parents, led the investigation. Miller reviewed the cause and manner of death report from the 5th District Office of the Medical Examiner on April 22 and, based on the parents’ failure to “make a reasonable effort” to protect the child from the drugs, a warrant for their arrests was obtained.

According to the release, a black case containing a powder that “tested positive for fentanyl” was in the room where Daltin died and was “easily accessible.” An arrest document said the black case was within 10 feet of where the child was sleeping.

Both parents denied owning the case and both refused a drug test sought by a Department of Children and Families investigator at the scene, according to the arrest document.  They both denied recent drug use, the news release stated.

Daltin had been removed from the custody of his parents by authorities at birth due to “the victim being born with drugs in his system (and the mother) testing positive for Illegal drugs,” according to an arrest document.

The child had been returned to Miller’s custody on Feb. 9 but Starling was “forced by the Department of Children and Families and Kids Central to “move out due to her drug use.”

DCF made an in-home check on Feb .27 and found the child “coughing and was sick” and Miller stated he planned to take Daltin to the doctor, an arrest document stated.

An arrest document also stated the child had been taken to a doctor on Feb. 29 and that a nebulizer and Amoxicillin were prescribed.

The night of the child’s death, Miller said he and Starling slept with Daltin to keep a check on him and that he began CPR after he called 911, the arrest document states. Starling said she arrived around midnight March 1 to “help take care” of the child and removed fluids from the child’s nose and mouth with a suction tube provided by a doctor, according to the document.

A four-camera video recording system in the residence was reviewed around April 18 and showed Daltin with nothing “obviously wrong,” according to the arrest document. The video, which has not been released, shows that on March 1 at three minutes before the 911 call was made, Starling leaves the house with a bag in her hands and enters a shed on the side of the residence. Due to the time lapse for detectives to get the video, the contents of the bag could not be determined, the document stated.