'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgQAAEDBAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQABRESBhQhQ9IBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYRAAIBBQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECEQADBCFBE1H/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AIuKrjWCPAnJhRzJduakFbW7I3uILriyNlbYxgA1qpu2yy2g9tHlI9R+qUohkqttLZXRYtPe01cDwx3gSybP2DFf/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On January 15, 2023, Journey Sharp, a 2-year-old Baltimore toddler, was found dead after officers responded to an apartment in the 4200 block of Parkton Street, where the child was reported unresponsive.
Almost two months after the incident, a recent medical examiner's report revealed that Journey Sharp died due to fentanyl intoxication.
While authorities are yet to make any arrests in the incident, Baltimore police said that the death, which was ruled a homicide after the autopsy, is now under investigation.
Police will continue to investigate the death of Journey Sharp after it was ruled a homicide
On January 15, 2023, officers responded to an apartment in Baltimore after a toddler was reported unresponsive. Upon arrival, first responders found Journey Sharp and pronounced her dead at the scene.
Investigators are now exploring the circumstances that led to the death of the girl after a medical examiner notified homicide detectives on March 10 2023, that Sharp had died of fentanyl intoxication.
While officials have yet to disclose additional information on the case, shortly after her death, Journey Sharp’s aunt launched a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs for the toddler who “loved to dance and make someone smile.”
The crowdfunding page that raised over $600 stated that the girl’s mother, Bethannie and father, Kenneth K Sharp, were both devastated by the death of their child. The page reads:
“Our niece Journey Bleu Sharp was escorted by the angels to meet with the lord himself. The journey was full of peace and joy. But most importantly she loved everyone she came in contact with. She loved baby sharks. She loved to dance and make someone smile. She liked to play tag with you. She liked to play with balls. But most importantly she loved to be in her mother’s arms. The Mother Bethannie is Devastated as well as the Father Kenneth K Sharp and both Families cannot believe the tragedy.”
The incident comes in the wake of a growing number of fentanyl-related deaths in the United States. As per a report in the Wall Street Journal, Toddlers are reportedly dying after accidentally ingesting fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid often used recreationally by their parents.
In December 2022, a 2-year-old Ohio boy died after ingesting fentanyl at his home. Police who found a bag with fentanyl residue on the kitchen floor discovered that the toddler's mother Brianna Roush had smoked the drug with her partner at home the morning the boy died.
According to federal mortality data, there were 133 opioid-related deaths among children younger than three in 2021 and the statistics have significantly increased since then.
