Michelle Rice, Charged In Meth Related Death of Newborn, Says She Was Sober And Clean
Michelle Rice, who was arrested and charged with second-degree murder of her 11-day-old infant on May 11, 2017, told the police that she was clean and sober. Court documents show that drug paraphernalia and drugs were found in Michelle Rice’s home where she lived with the newborn.
Eliana Rice was only 11-days-old when she was discovered already dead in her home in south Edmonton, Alberta. After an autopsy was conducted, the police announced that the infant had died from a meth overdose. There was so much meth in her system, that the police said that it could not have been ingested from breastfeeding. It had to have been taken either orally or anally.
It was more than a month later before Michelle Rice, the mother of the baby, was arrested. The charges were second-degree murder.
Global News reported that new documents from the courts have been released. These documents include what was said by the mother of the baby that died of a meth overdose, Michelle Rice.
The police report says that when they found baby Eliana in the home, she was already unconscious and she was not breathing. The baby was immediately transported to the Stollery Children’s Hospital. She was pronounced dead on arrival.
Michelle Rice was detained at her home to speak to the police officers. The court documents revealed that the baby “had been sleeping in a bassinet near Michelle’s bed, but woke up crying during the night. Michelle then breastfed Eliana and put her to bed beside her in her bed (Michelle’s bed).” Michelle Rice told the police that she fell asleep when she was feeding the baby so at first, it was thought that the baby suffocated while feeding.
It was only after the toxicology reports revealed that there was meth in the baby’s system that Michelle Rice became a suspect. The concentration of meth in the child’s system was 0.23 mg/L of blood. According to the medical examiner, levels that high could not have come from breastfeeding. He said, “A level that high suggests ingestion via Eliana’s mouth or her anus.”
In future interviews with the police, Michelle Rice said that she had been clean and sober for at least nine months. She said that she had not consumed meth ever since she found out she was pregnant with the baby. She also told the police that she had not let Eliana be alone with anyone except for herself.
Rice did admit that there was likely still some drug paraphernalia in the home. She told police officers that there was a “vaporizer pipe and it was possible she still had baggies with meth residue inside them.”
When the police did a search of Michelle Rice’s home, after being granted a search warrant, the did discover several pipes and drug baggies but they also found drugs in the home. The search was conducted on April 7, 2017.
WATCH: Court documents offer details into #yeg mother charged in baby's meth death @fletcherkent reports
READ: https://t.co/pIrXHPBNVD pic.twitter.com/lJtCcmp7xS— Global Edmonton (@GlobalEdmonton) June 1, 2017
The Inquisitr previously reported that Michelle Rice is a single mother but she was in a relationship with someone at the time that the baby’s death occurred. The name of the person she was in a relationship with has not been revealed. Michelle Rice also has another child. Her son is in the care of his biological father.
Michelle Rice’s father spoke to the media and said that he could not believe that Michelle could be guilty of this crime. Rice’s father and two sisters expressed a wish to obtain custody of her son.
Michelle Rice will remain in custody until her next court appearance on June 16, 2017.
Do you think Michelle Rice will be found guilty? Or do you think there may be unreported evidence that will prove that she is not guilty?
[Featured Image by LindaYoland/iStock]
