ACWORTH, Ga. — A 31-year old woman who died from a methamphetamine overdose accidentally smothered her 8-month-old son, according Cherokee County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jay Baker.
The bodies were found July 17 in a home in Acworth, Georgia, Baker said Friday in a statement. The woman's 2-year-old daughter was discovered in the home unharmed and is with family members.
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Authorities were called to the residence after a family member said they hadn’t been able to get in contact with the woman, identified as Holly Whitley, officials said.
“There were no obvious injuries to Whitley or her infant son,” Baker said.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab completed an autopsy in July, but officials were awaiting the results of the toxicology report to determine the cause and manner of death.
Officials listed the manner of death for Whitley and her son as accidental. Whitley’s cause of death was methamphetamine toxicity. The baby’s cause of death was mechanical asphyxia.
“In layman’s terms, Ms. Whitley died from a lethal amount of methamphetamine in her system,” Baker said. “Her body came to rest on top of her infant, which caused the child to smother, leading to his death.”
A GoFundMe page has been created to help pay for funeral costs for Whitley and her son. More than $4,000 has been raised toward a $15,000 goal.
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