GUILTY VA - 4-Year-Old Tanner Clements - Dies From Eating THC Laced Gummies - Mother Arrested

[Niner]

I search for the mother's name & didn't come up with a thread. So starting one for this little 4 year old.

Mom Charged with Murder After Son Eats 'Large Amount' of THC Gummies

A doctor told police that if the boy had been treated sooner, "it could have prevented death"

people.com

Oct. 21, 2022

A 30-year-old Virginia woman has been charged with murder in connection with the death of her 4-year-old son, who suffered a "medical emergency" in May, the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office wrote on its Facebook page.

A Spotsylvania County Grand Jury indicted Dorothy Clements on Monday, officials stated. She was charged with one count of felony murder and one count of child neglect.

Clements was booked Wednesday evening and currently being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail, where she was denied bond, according to online jail records. It was unclear whether she had an attorney to speak on her behalf.

On May 6, Clements 4-year-old son suffered a medical emergency at his home. Two days later, the boy died from his injuries, officials stated.
[.....]
Detectives alleged the doctor informed them that if the boy had received medical care shortly after the incident occurred, "it could have prevented death."

During the investigation, detectives alleged that Clements' statements did not match evidence seized from the home.

 

[Niner]

Case Number: CR22001530-00
Filed: 10/17/2022
Commenced by: Direct Indictment
Locality: COMMONWEALTH OF VA
Defendant: CLEMENTS, DOROTHY ANNETTE
Sex: Female
Race: White
DOB: 11/27/****
Address: SPOTSYLVANIA, VA 22551
Charge: FELONY MURDER
Code Section: 18.2-33
Charge Type: Felony
Class: U
Offense Date: 05/06/2022
Arrest Date: 10/19/2022

Hearings

# Date Time Type
1 10/17/2022 9:00AM Grand Jury 1 True Bill - Def. Arrested On Capias

2 10/21/2022 9:30AM Capias 1 Set For Trial

3 11/01/2022 9:00AM Arraignment 1

link: Virginia Court Case Information


Case Number: CR22001531-00
Filed: 10/17/2022
Commenced by: Direct Indictment
Locality: COMMONWEALTH OF VA
Defendant: CLEMENTS, DOROTHY ANNETTE
Sex: Female
Race: White
DOB: 11/27/****
Address: SPOTSYLVANIA, VA 22551
Charge: CHILD ABUSE/ NEGLECT
Code Section: 18.2-371.1
Charge Type: Felony
Class: 4
Offense Date: 05/06/2022
Arrest Date: 10/19/2022

Hearings

# Date Time Type
1 10/17/2022 9:00AM Grand Jury 1 True Bill - Def. Arrested On Capias

2 10/21/2022 9:30AM Capias 1 Set For Trial

3 11/01/2022 9:00AM Arraignment 1

link: Virginia Court Case Information

 

[Niner]

This article mentions the THC laced gummies.

Virginia Mother Charged with Murder After 4-Year-Old Dies from Ingesting 'Delta-8 THC' Gummies

The defendant was indicted on charges of felony murder and felony child neglect over the death of her son in May of this year.

lawandcrime.com

Oct. 21, 2022
....
“Detectives from the Child Victims Unit investigated the death and learned from doctors that the child’s toxicity level showed a high level of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol),” the SSO said in that post. “Detectives believe the child ingested a large amount of THC gummies.”


Marijuana alone has never resulted in a reported physical overdose in humans that is fatal – and is generally considered impossible by the medical community. Users can overdose in extreme situations.
[.....]
An inquiry by Fox News, however, dispelled some of that typical confusion by revealing that Virginia authorities, when pressed on their claims, later clarified and explained that the gummy candies believed to have been consumed by the deceased child, Tanner Clements, actually contained “delta-8 THC,” citing SSO Major Troy Skebo.

 

[Niner]

Tanner...

 

[FeelMyHeat]

This article mentions the THC laced gummies.

Virginia Mother Charged with Murder After 4-Year-Old Dies from Ingesting 'Delta-8 THC' Gummies

The defendant was indicted on charges of felony murder and felony child neglect over the death of her son in May of this year.

lawandcrime.com

Oct. 21, 2022
....
“Detectives from the Child Victims Unit investigated the death and learned from doctors that the child’s toxicity level showed a high level of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol),” the SSO said in that post. “Detectives believe the child ingested a large amount of THC gummies.”


Marijuana alone has never resulted in a reported physical overdose in humans that is fatal – and is generally considered impossible by the medical community. Users can overdose in extreme situations.
[.....]
An inquiry by Fox News, however, dispelled some of that typical confusion by revealing that Virginia authorities, when pressed on their claims, later clarified and explained that the gummy candies believed to have been consumed by the deceased child, Tanner Clements, actually contained “delta-8 THC,” citing SSO Major Troy Skebo.

Got some Summer Wells thoughts going on after reading that.

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, November 1st:
Arraignment & Bond Hearing (@ 9am ET) - VA – Tanner Clements (4) dies from Delta-8 THC Gummies, taken to hospital on May 6, 2022 & died on May 8, 2022. *Dorothy Clements (30) "mom" indicted (10/17/22), arrested & charged (10/19/22) with felony murder & child abuse/neglect. Held without bond.
10/17/22 Update: Grand Jury returns True Bill. Defendant arrested on Capias. Next arraignment & bond hearing on 11/1/22.

 

[Niner]

Woman charged with son's THC gummy death pleads not guilty to murder

Dorothy Clements talked to WUSA9 in an exclusive interview before murder and neglect charges were filed to explain her side of the story.

www.wusa9.com

I can not access this article - can someone give a 10% synopsis on this? Is there a bond amount for her? I have held without bond when she was first arrested. Also is there a next hearing date in there?
I can not access the VA court site today - it is acting up again...

TIA! if someone can help!

 

[Niner]

CaseNumber Defendant Charge Hear Date Status
CR22001530-00 CLEMENTS, DOROTHY ANNETTE FELONY MURDER 11/21/2022 Active
CR22001531-00 CLEMENTS, DOROTHY ANNETTE CHILD ABUSE/ NEGLECT 11/21/2022 Active


Hearings:
# Date Time Type Plea Result
3 11/01/2022 9:00AM Arraignment 1 Not Guilty Set For Trial

4 11/01/2022 9:00AM Bond 1 Withdrawn

5 11/21/2022 9:00AM Status Hearing 1

link: Virginia Court Case Information

 

[Tracey4AU]

@Niner Came to help with the next hearing date but see you got it! Bond wasn’t mentioned in the above article you shared. It was mostly about an interview the station had done with the “mom” before her arrest.

 

[Niner]

@Niner Came to help with the next hearing date but see you got it! Bond wasn’t mentioned in the above article you shared. It was mostly about an interview the station had done with the “mom” before her arrest.

Okay - thanks for the info on the article.

And a lousy court site - does not state what the bond is. I have her held without bond.

 

[amandab]

Showing my naivete here, but can someone pls explain why it is significant that it is "delta-8" thc and not (for lack of a better word) regular thc?

 

[evilwise]

Showing my naivete here, but can someone pls explain why it is significant that it is "delta-8" thc and not (for lack of a better word) regular thc?

Supposedly Delta-8 THC, a chemically altered and incomplete molecule, gives users the calming effects of THC without the accompanying "high" but this case may demonstrate that it is the high that provides the built in safety net for this drug that leads to users harmlessly passing out before they can reach a lethal level of intoxication. This case will most likely be scientifically important. I'd like to know just how many pounds of gummies he ate.

 

[evilwise]

To add, the flip side of the argument will be that it will eventually be found that the "medical event" was only tangentially related to THC intoxication and this is essentially "fake news" artificially inflated for political purposes. As we know here from experience the actual toxicology results won't be available for weeks, until after the elections.

 

[Laughing]

And apparently 5 additional states have some type of legalization/decriminalization on the ballot next week:

Recreational marijuana legalization is on the ballot in these states today | CNN Politics

Marijuana legalization is on the ballot in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota on Tuesday, a reflection of the growing momentum nationwide to lift penalties once associated with the drug.

www.cnn.com

Problems reported in Colorado almost immediately after legalization:

ER visits related to marijuana use at a Colorado hospital quadruple after legalization

Visits by teens to a Colorado children's hospital emergency department and its satellite urgent care centers increased rapidly after legalization of marijuana for commercialized medical and recreational use, according to new research.

www.sciencedaily.com

ER visits related to marijuana use at a Colorado hospital quadruple after legalization​

Legalized Marijuana Sends More Kids To The Hospital In Colorado

<p>More children are ending up in the emergency room or needing other treatment for marijuana exposure in Colorado since the state legalized pot for recreational use, a new study finds. </p>

www.news9.com

"We expected a slight increase in marijuana exposures in young children after legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado, but the increase was much more dramatic -- five-fold -- than we anticipated," Roosevelt said.

bbm

From one perspective -- the Commonwealth of Virginia could have anticipated this problem in 2016.

Wonder if the gummies this unfortunate child ingested actually were under Virginia's one-ounce limit?

And -- why did this look like a popular candy???

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[Niner]

Monday, November 21st:
*Status Hearing (@ 9am ET) - VA – Tanner Clements (4) dies from Delta-8 THC Gummies, taken to hospital on May 6, 2022 & died on May 8, 2022. *Dorothy Annette Clements (30) "mom" indicted (10/17/22), arrested & charged (10/19/22) & arraigned (11/1/22) with felony murder & child abuse/neglect. Plead not guilty. Held without bond.
10/17/22 Update: Grand Jury returns True Bill. Defendant arrested on Capias. Next arraignment & bond hearing on 11/1/22. 11/1/22 Update: Plead not guilty. Waiting for info in article.
11/1/22 Update: Plead not guilty. Bond stays as no bond. Next status hearing on 11/21/22.

 

[NeverPersonal]

Okay... I'm sorry... but it's been proven time and time and time again by countless verified medical studies that you cannot overdose on marijuana.
Something else happened and the THC may have easily exacerbated it. But THC alone? No. Sorry. Not buying that.

EDIT: interesting comments on sheriff's office post found here

 

[evilwise]

Okay... I'm sorry... but it's been proven time and time and time again by countless verified medical studies that you cannot overdose on marijuana.
Something else happened and the THC may have easily exacerbated it. But THC alone? No. Sorry. Not buying that.

EDIT: interesting comments on sheriff's office post found here

"It's not Marijuana though, it's chemically altered THC extracted and put in candy" is what the critics are saying but I'm still dubious. In my experience, while nobody suffers any lasting physical consequences of THC intoxication, high levels from hash or whatever can definitely cause people to vomit and pass out. As any drinker is usually aware, if people pass out on their back and vomit they can aspirate the vomit and suffocate. I think that's probably what happened here.

 

[Niner]

Got this in my alerts - but unfortunately I can not access this article. Is there something in there about the hearing she just had?

Prosecutors: THC gummies killed Virginia 4-year-old

Dorothy Clements faced a Spotsylvania County judge Monday on murder and child neglect charges in the death of her 4-year-old son, Tanner.

www.wusa9.com

and of course the court site is acting up for me today - so can not see what her next court date is...

 

[evilwise]

Got this in my alerts - but unfortunately I can not access this article. Is there something in there about the hearing she just had?

Prosecutors: THC gummies killed Virginia 4-year-old

Dorothy Clements faced a Spotsylvania County judge Monday on murder and child neglect charges in the death of her 4-year-old son, Tanner.

www.wusa9.com

and of course the court site is acting up for me today - so can not see what her next court date is...

The prosecutors are alleging that Clements' 4-year-old son, Tanner, ate up to 15 Delta-8 THC gummies; the dosage and brand has not been revealed.

Clements said had no idea the gummies she bought actually contained THC.
In that interview she told WUSA9, unbeknownst to her, Tanner ate one or two gummies. When he started showing difficulty breathing, she said she called poison control.

Prosecutors allege Clements lied about the call to poison control and the number of gummies. But the toddler's mother and her attorney say other medical factors-- including a heart problem and obesity -- contributed to Tanners' death and that she is not responsible.

County prosecutors responded that Tanner's 116-pound weight at age four and lack of pediatrician visits in two years was a sign of child neglect. Clements' attorney countered that she did not have primary custody of Tanner at the time of his death.

 

[Niner]

Thank you @evilwise - much appreciated!