Wyoming Man Arrested Following Overdose Death Of Toddler Son

A  Rock Springs man was arrested earlier today after his toddler son died of an accidental drug overdose in October, according to a release from the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office.

According to the release, 35-year-old Daniel Scott James was arrested without incident on charges of involuntary manslaughter at his home.

The release says the arrest dates back to when deputies were called to a home north of Rock Springs on October 21 on a report of a two-year-old boy who was unconscious and not breathing.

“When they arrived, they found the boy’s father administering CPR. The child’s body; was stiff and cold to the touch; he was obviously deceased,” Sheriff's Department spokesman Jason Mower said

Investigators say they found out after the boys death that James was taking a number of prescribed and illegal drugs, The release goes on to say;

At the time of death, James said kept his medications in a pill organizer on the microwave. The night before
the boy died, James told investigators he noticed his Buprenorphine was missing from the pill organizer. The
child’s mother also reported that her toddler son vomited several times before bed that night.
While no obvious signs of trauma were discovered during autopsy, toxicology results revealed Buprenorphine
in the child’s system. While forensic experts would not specify the exact number of pills the boy may have
ingested, they said less than one pill was enough to prove lethal.
Lead detective on the case, Stephanie Cassidy, said, “These investigations are never easy. A child was lost.
Despite the circumstances, my deepest condolences are with the family. We’ve spent a lot of time and effort
over the last few months piecing this together and trying to bring justice to this little boy.”

Under Wyoming law involuntary manslaughter carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.