KANSAS CITY, Mo. -
A Kansas City mother was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the drug-related death of her three-year-old son in January 2009. Kimberly E. Ervin, 44, was also charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child after her son's twin was also found to be drugged.
Court documents said that Ervin's son, Joshua Moss, was taken to Children's Mercy Hospital after a 911 call said he was having breathing problems. The court records said Joshua was throwing up and would not wake up. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
During the investigation, medical staff noticed that Joshua's twin brother, Jeremiah Moss, was observed to be "extremely lethargic." The court documents said that tests showed Jeremiah had cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxant, in his system. Court documents said an autopsy on his brother Joshua died of an acute oxycodone, alprazolam and cyclobenzaprine toxicity. Alprazolam is also known by the trade name Xanax.
Court documents said Jeremiah was treated and released to a family member.
The court documents said a third son was overheard by hospital staff saying Ervin drugged the twins "to keep them quiet so she wouldn't have to take care of them while she was high."
The probable cause states that detectives found a medicine box and pill in the bedroom and an empty cyclobenzaprine bottle on the rear porch.
When questioned, court documents said Ervin told detectives that the boys got into her medicine when she was sleeping.
Court documents said that Ervin's son, Joshua Moss, was taken to Children's Mercy Hospital after a 911 call said he was having breathing problems. The court records said Joshua was throwing up and would not wake up. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
During the investigation, medical staff noticed that Joshua's twin brother, Jeremiah Moss, was observed to be "extremely lethargic." The court documents said that tests showed Jeremiah had cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxant, in his system. Court documents said an autopsy on his brother Joshua died of an acute oxycodone, alprazolam and cyclobenzaprine toxicity. Alprazolam is also known by the trade name Xanax.
Court documents said Jeremiah was treated and released to a family member.
The court documents said a third son was overheard by hospital staff saying Ervin drugged the twins "to keep them quiet so she wouldn't have to take care of them while she was high."
The probable cause states that detectives found a medicine box and pill in the bedroom and an empty cyclobenzaprine bottle on the rear porch.
When questioned, court documents said Ervin told detectives that the boys got into her medicine when she was sleeping.
