A Morris woman has been arrested and charged with felony child neglect following her three-year-old son’s fentanyl-related death last summer.
Jordan Shay Burks was arrested Wednesday evening and booked into the Okmulgee County Jail, where she is being held on a $50,000 bond following the filing of formal charges by Okmulgee County prosecutors on Tuesday.
According to a Probable Cause Affidavit, Okmulgee County Deputies responded to an emergency call on June 20, 2024, around 6 a.m., at a home where a three-year-old child was discovered unconscious.
When deputies arrived, Burks allegedly exited the back door and shouted “bring Narcan” to first responders, a medication commonly used to reverse opioid overdoses.
Medical personnel attempted life-saving measures, but the child was declared dead. The Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined that the toddler died as a result of fentanyl toxicity. The death was ruled accidental.
During the investigation, Burks allegedly admitted to frequently finding drug-related items in her home and taking opioids for nearly two years.
Prosecutors claim Burks knowingly made fentanyl available in her home, which resulted in her son ingesting the deadly substance.
On Tuesday, Okmulgee County District Attorney Carol Iski charged Burks with one count of felony child neglect, stating:
“On or about June 20, 2024, Jordan Shay Burks did unlawfully, willfully, knowingly, and wrongfully commit the crime of child neglect by allowing the controlled dangerous drug fentanyl to be within reach and accessed by L.T., age 3, in which he ingested said drug, causing his death.”
Burks was set to appear in Okmulgee County District Court on Thursday.
