The guardians of a reportedly hyperactive six-year-old boy in South Carolina administered to him a huge dose of Benadryl, resulting in the child’s untimely death the following day.
Five months after the boy’s death, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office arrested two individuals following an investigation.
The suspects, the boy’s guardians, were Sarah Stewart, 32, and Christopher Stewart, 48. They admitted to the crime when questioned, with Sarah Stewart claiming that she gave the boy the fatal dose because he was hyperactive.
According to court documents, the boy’s biological mother designated Christopher Stewart as guardian while she was incarcerated in a West Virginia federal prison.
Aydon Quinn, 6, was reported to be unresponsive at a residence in Greer, South Carolina, on October 30. Paramedics were called to the scene. His guardians claim that he had a seizure as a result of hitting his head after falling from a recliner.
Soon after, deputies showed up to help the paramedics, who informed them that the boy was in critical condition and had been taken to a hospital, where he later passed away.
The boy was found to be living in filthy conditions. A subsequent investigation showed that the Department of Social Services had previously received reports of child abuse.
According to reports, the 45-pound boy was given a dose of Benadryl that would have killed an adult and was roughly four times the lethal dose for children. Coroner Rusty Clevenger was astounded by the findings and said he had never seen anything like it. The boy’s body had several bruises, according to the autopsy.
Sarah Stewart is charged with homicide by child abuse and unlawful child neglect, while Christopher Stewart is charged with unlawful child neglect. They appeared in court on Friday morning, where Ms. Stewart was denied bond. A $10,000 bond was given to Mr. Stewart. Their subsequent court appearance is set for May.