DA: Woman sentenced for toddler’s fentanyl-induced death in Catawba County

LONG VIEW, N.C. — A woman was sentenced to four to seven years in prison after she was convicted for involuntary manslaughter in a child’s death in Catawba County.

According the district attorney, 24-year-old Haley Odessa Godshall, of Hickory, was sentenced after she was convicted in court on Tuesday. The victim in the case is a 16-month-old who Godshall and her co-defendant were babysitting on Nov. 7, 2021. Authorities said they were using methamphetamine and fentanyl while they were watching the toddler.

In addition to the manslaughter charge, Godshall pleaded guilty to to five counts of habitual larceny, one count of possession of a Schedule I controlled substance and one count of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance.

Godshall received the maximum sentence allowed for involuntary manslaughter based on her previous record, authorities said.

In their investigation, authorities discovered that the two defendants had been using methamphetamine prior to picking up the child. He was in the bed asleep between Godshall and her co-defendant when Godshall took out fentanyl and began passing it to the co-defendant near the child. As a result, the toddler ingested a lethal amount of fentanyl.

Police: 2 charged with child’s fentanyl-induced death in Catawba County

On April 22, Long View police said they had two women in custody for the toddler’s death.

Officers said they were called to the hospital on Nov. 7, 2021 for a child who had been admitted for a medical emergency. Police said the boy died that day and his name will not be made public.

Long View police said they and the State Bureau of Investigation went to a home on 24th Street Southwest in Long View to gather evidence. Three days later, authorities asked for an autopsy on the child.

Investigators got the report back on March 28 and it said the cause of the boy’s death was the “toxic effects of fentanyl.”

Police said investigators testified to a grand jury, who indicted Godshall and Daisy Renee Bare on one felony charge each of involuntary manslaughter for the child’s death. According to the DA, Godshall and Bare were the ones who took the child to the hospital.

Both were served with their indictments on April 21; Godshall was placed under a $100,000 bond and Bare a $1 million bond.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and they don’t have any more information.

Investigators asked anyone who knows about the case to call the Long View Police Department at 828-327-2343 and ask to speak with Investigator J. Rector.

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Police: 2 charged with child’s fentanyl-induced death in Catawba County

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