Babysitter arrested in Leavenworth toddler death after autopsy shows drug poisoning
Leavenworth police have arrested a Kansas City woman and her boyfriend on charges related to the March death of 3-year-old EJ Brown, who authorities said died from fentanyl poisoning.
Tara Huerta, 40, and Kenneth Hedgecock, 34, have been charged with first-degree murder, possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the Leavenworth County Attorney’s Office.
Hedgecock is currently being held in the Clay County jail.
The KBI laboratory confirmed that fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine were found in the apartment, according to Leavenworth Police Chief Patrick Kitchens. Huerta and another person were caring for the child at the time of his death.
Brown’s mother, Briana Davis, previously told The Star that she left her son with Huerta and Hedgecoock on March 26 after he fell asleep while she received a face tattoo.
On the day of EJ’s death, Leavenworth police and emergency personnel responded to the 2900 Block of Martin Luther King Drive for a 3-year-old child who was unresponsive. The boy was transported to a hospital, where he was declared deceased.
Detectives opened a homicide investigation after finding several items suspected of being illegal drugs and paraphernalia in the apartment.
On May 29, an autopsy confirmed the child died of acute fentanyl toxicity.
This story was originally published August 18, 2025 at 11:28 AM.
