Lacey Lynn Kertz, 28, of Barnhart has been sentenced to 17 years in prison in connection with the death of her 22-month-old son in 2013, court papers show.
The child, Carson Ryan Swyers, died Oct. 28, 2013, from morphine intoxication, the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office reported.
He was found unresponsive that day at a home in the 5700 block of Brookstone Drive in House Springs after Kertz had been caring for him there, according to court records.
Kertz told a Jefferson County deputy that during the 24-36 hours preceding her son’s death, while she was caring for him, she had taken about 10 morphine and Xanax pills, three or four Vicodin pills and methamphetamine and that during that time, she nursed her son in an effort to “comfort” him, the probable-cause statement said.
Kertz’s urine was tested and was positive for morphine and hydromorphone, the report said.
The boy’s urine and blood were tested and were positive for morphine, hydromorphone, amphetamine, methamphetamine and opiates, according to the report.
Kertz said the boy was “fussy” the night before he died, so she gave him two melatonin pills to help him sleep, the report said.
She said she also might have given her son some Tylenol, but she couldn’t remember.
Kertz said that between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Oct. 27, 2013, she found her son with an empty prescription bottle that had contained Trazodone pills. She said the boy had a pill on his lips, which she removed. In addition, Kertz said she stuck her finger down the boy’s throat to make him vomit, but he didn’t, according to the report.
Kertz said the next morning, at about 1:30 a.m., she heard her son “wheezing” and “acting funny,” so she held him until he fell asleep, the report said.
She did not take the boy to the hospital or contact medical personnel during the incidents, the report said.
At about 10:30 a.m. Oct. 28, Kertz said she found her son unresponsive so emergency personnel were called and transported him to St. Anthony’s Medical Center in south St. Louis County, where he was later pronounced dead.
Kertz pleaded guilty to first-degree involuntary manslaughter and two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, all class C felonies that are punishable by up to seven years in prison.
On Nov. 6, Jefferson County Div. 4 Circuit Judge Mark T. Stoll sentenced Kertz to seven years for the manslaughter charge and to five years each for the endangering charges. The terms are to be served consecutively, for a total of 17 years, court documents indicate.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Marie Pudlowski handled the case.