Two months after a baby boy was found unresponsive in a travel camper in Penacook, police are still awaiting final toxicology results which could shed light on the infant’s cause of death.
Concord police Lt. Tim O’Malley said Friday the 2-month-old’s death remains under investigation and, therefore, he declined to discuss the case further. He said previously that investigators found no initial signs of foul play.
The baby’s parents, Bradford Ross, 24, and Kayla Austin, 20, are facing drug and child endangerment charges. The boyfriend and girlfriend are accused of having methamphetamine and other drugs in the camper where they lived with the boy and a 2-year-old girl.
The judge sealed arrest affidavits and related search warrants Aug. 5, the day after Concord police took Ross and Austin into custody. Assistant city prosecutor Jacqueline Blanchard filed the motion to seal, arguing the early disclosure of the information could compromise an ongoing investigation.
On Sept. 1, the city prosecutor’s office agreed to unseal the documents, but only to give defense attorneys access to them for trial preparations. The affidavits and search warrants are not available to the public.
Police responded to the home at 54 Penacook St. on Aug. 1 after receiving a report of an infant who was unconscious and not breathing. While on scene, police said they observed drug paraphernalia inside the camper, and as a result sought a search warrant.
Detectives executed that search warrant the next day and seized approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine, which was packaged in baggies and appeared to be for sale, according to O’Malley. They also found amphetamine, dextroamphetamine and marijuana, as well as scales, plastic packaging, ledgers and receipts, he said previously.
Ross and Austin are out of jail on personal recognizance bail. A judge granted them release on the condition that they participate in the county’s pretrial services program. Individualized supervision plans for pretrial services can include, but are not limited to a curfew, electronic monitoring, substance abuse programming, and random drug tests and home visits.
In recent weeks, their pretrial services officers have filed multiple non-compliance reports against them in court. Ross is accused of failing to attend mandatory weekly meetings and of failing urine tests, which tested positive for amphetamines. Austin is accused of diluting urine tests on three occasions in September.
A judge initially ordered no contact between Ross and Austin, but later amended that bail condition to allow for it.
Both recently waived probable cause hearings on the felony drug charges. Those are now before the Merrimack County Superior Court, where a grand jury will decide if there is enough evidence to indict.
In addition to the felony counts, each face misdemeanor drug possession and child endangerment charges in Concord’s district court. Pretrial conferences are scheduled for October and November.
(Alyssa Dandrea can be reached at 369-3319, adandrea@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @_ADandrea.)