A Maryland dad is facing manslaughter charges after police say he gave his 3-year-old son a fatal cocktail of drugs, including cocaine. News4’s Pat Collins reports.
A Maryland dad is facing manslaughter charges after police say he gave his 3-year-old son a fatal cocktail of drugs, including cocaine.
Thomas E. Holland, 38, drove his unresponsive son to the United Medical Center in southeast Washington in January, police said. Officers were called to the hospital after the boy died, and an investigation into his death was launched.
A toxicology report revealed a number of drugs in the child's system, including toxic levels of of cocaine, acetaminophen and codeine.
The amount of drugs in the boy's system would have killed him within four hours, according to court documents. Police say he could not have accidentally swallowed them.
"The investigators and the medical examiner feel very strongly there's no way this child accidentally ingested this collection of drugs all together," said Bill Alexander of Prince George's County Police.
Holland had a court-ordered visit with his 3-year-old just before the boy's hospital visit. News4's Pat Collins spoke to the boy's great-grandparent Maurice Gaither.
"It's the most horrific and the most terrible thing I've ever experienced," Gaither said.
Holland was taken into custody May 15 and remains behind bars, facing manslaughter and child abuse charges.
A lawyer for Holland was not available for comment.
