Nov 26 2008
Grandmother Pleads Not Guilty in Toddler’s Accidental Overdose
Robin Gail Reed pleaded not guilty in her granddaughter’s methadone overdose.
Reed was taking daily doses of methadone to help combat heroine addiction. Her 2-year-old grandchild found a bottle of the cherry flavored drug in her bag and drank it. She was dead by the time the paramedics arrived.
Reed was charged with second-degree manslaughter. A defendant charged with second degree manslaughter is thought to have acted recklessly, which resulted in the death of a human being.
She was under contract with the hospital to make sure that she kept the methadone in a lock box that was provided for her. Normally, the methadone dose was to be taken in the hospital under supervision, but during the weekend, she was given a dose to take at home. The dose that her granddaughter, Allison, accidentally ingested was the remainder of a dose from the previous weekend. Another part of her contract was that she was to take the full dose.
