Third person found guilty in fentanyl-related death of Leavenworth County toddler
A man was found guilty Monday of involuntary manslaughter in the fentanyl-related death of Leavenworth toddler.
Kenneth C. Hedgecock, 35, of Leavenworth pleaded no contest Monday to one count each of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated endangering a child, according to a press release from Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson. A court found Hedgecock guilty on both counts.
E-lah “EJ” Brown Jr. died of acute fentanyl toxicity last March, following a medical call to a Leavenworth apartment complex.
Hedgecock is the third and final individual, Thompson said, to be convicted in EJ’s death. His conviction follows those of 40-year-old babysitter Tara Ann Huerta and EJ’s mother, 30-year-old Briana Davis.
Huerta pleaded guilty to one count each of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated endangering a child in February. Davis was found guilty of child abandonment, aggravated battery and endangering a child in connection to her son’s death in January.
“This case is a heartbreaking reminder that fentanyl is not just a danger to those who use it – it endangers everyone around it, especially children,” Thompson said. “When adults choose to keep such a deadly substance in a home where a child is present, they will be held responsible.”
Leavenworth police went to the Woodland Village Apartments around 4:30 a.m. on March 26, 2025, on a medical call, Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens previously said. EJ was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Thompson said Hedgecock and Huerta told investigators they were in an apartment with EJ around midnight when they noticed he was breathing differently, appearing to be “having a bad dream.”
Hedgecock yelled the toddler’s name, Thompson said, after which EJ briefly opened his eyes before falling back asleep. He checked on the child a second time around 4:30 a.m., during which he and Huerta realized EJ was no longer breathing.
According to the prosecutor, both Hedgecock and Huerta admitted to using drugs while EJ was inside the apartment.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation laboratory later confirmed fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine were present in the apartment at the time of EJ’s death, Kitchens said.
Hedgecock is set to appear for a sentencing hearing on April 1, according to court records. Davis and Huerta are set to appear for sentencing hearings on March 11 and March 27, respectively.
This story was originally published March 2, 2026 at 8:27 PM.
