Autopsy: 10-month-old girl died of fentanyl exposure; father charged with murder

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CONCORD, N.C. — A Cabarrus County man faced a judge Thursday after being charged in the death of his 10-month-old daughter.

Timothy Tatum was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder after toxicology tests by the state medical examiner’s office determined that Tania Tatum’s death was the result of fentanyl toxicity.

The child's mother, Ashley Lee, has been charged with child abuse.

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On May 24, deputies and other emergency personnel were called to a home on Knight Bridge Drive in Concord in reference to an unresponsive infant.

Paramedics pronounced the child dead at the scene.

Neighbors told Channel 9's Dave Faherty that no one has lived in the home since that heartbreaking day.

Josue Guillen lives next door and like many was in disbelief when the 10-month-old died. He said on one occasion Tatum asked him for some diapers and was also spotted taking care of an older child with disabilities who lived at the home.

“Everyday about 6:30, 7 in the morning he had a disabled son in a wheelchair about 9, 10 years old. Every single day when the bus came around he was out there with his son,” said Guilen.

Both Lee and Tatum were taken into custody and charged with child abuse, trafficking opium, and possession of cocaine. They were later charged with felony negligent child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.

Timothy Tatum and Ashley Lee

Tatum and Lee have both been in the custody of the Cabarrus County Detention Center since the death of their daughter.

Channel 9 tried to obtain the arrest warrant to find out exactly what happened inside the home and how the baby ingested the fentanyl, but were told the documents were not yet available.

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