Pittsburg County Couple Accused Of Murder After Investigators Say Baby Died From Drug Exposure

A Pittsburg County couple is now facing 1st-degree murder charges after their 4-month-old child died last year.

Investigators say Vanessa Nelson and Julian Glenn's infant died from drug exposure.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics says an autopsy revealed the baby died after having meth and fentanyl in his system.

The couple is also charged with drug trafficking.

OBN says fentanyl-related deaths are on the rise in recent years.

“In 2023, we had approximately 750 overdose deaths involving fentanyl, and nearly half those involved fentanyl combined with methamphetamine,” said Mark Woodward, a spokesperson for OBN. “Over the last 10 years, I'd say we've seen a very alarming rise in the number of overdoses involving children, and many of those have turned fatal.”

Pittsburg County District Attorney Chuck Sullivan's office is prosecuting the case and says Fentanyl is a big problem across the county.

“What is common is fentanyl itself is really exploding in the cases we're seeing,” said Sullivan.

OBN says they are concerned with the amount of children affected by the drug in Oklahoma.

“It takes just a small particle that's almost invisible that could be left on a coffee table or in the carpet and then a child touches it, they inhale those particles and before you know they're having and extreme an even potentially fatal overdose,” said Woodward.