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Jason Moore, 36, and Amanda Moore, 35, surrendered to police on Friday, Aug. 11 and were each remanded to the county lockup in lieu of their $250,000 bonds, authorities said in a release.
In a criminal complaint cited by prosecutors, police said they were called to the Moores' Caln Township home to find an unresponsive 4-year-old around 10:50 a.m. on Nov. 29 last year.
He was rushed to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in King of Prussia where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
An initial autopsy by the Montgomery County Coroner's Office found "no obvious signs of the cause of death," but detectives said they found a lollipop stick that had been "in contact" with the child that tested positive for "trace amounts of fentanyl."
The lollipop stick, they claimed, came from a trash can in Jason and Amanda Moore's bedroom.
Later toxicology testing performed in January showed fentanyl in the 4-year-old's cardiac blood and brain tissue, authorities said. His cause of death was officially ruled a homicide by fentanyl toxicity.
Police claim Jason Moore used fentanyl in his home and said they found drug paraphernalia in his car on the day of his son's death.
"Investigators later learned that Jason Moore delayed calling 911 to clean up drug paraphernalia from the area of the bedroom where the child had been found," the DA said.
A drug test of Amanda Moore's hair also showed positive for fentanyl, amphetamine, and methamphetamine, they added.
Both defendants are due back in court for their preliminary hearings on Aug. 23, court records show.
If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, help is available in Chester County regardless of insurance. Visit chesco.org to learn more.
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