8-year-old Kentucky boy died from fentanyl not from eating strawberries, coroner reveals

The cause of death for the 8-year-old Kentucky boy who mysteriously died after eating strawberries at a school fundraiser last month has been revealed.

The Hopkin’s County Coroner’s Office told USA TODAY that the boy’s death was caused by fentanyl intoxication not from eating the strawberries. The coroner's office said that the manner of death is undetermined.

On March 15, the Madisonville Police Department responded to a call of an unresponsive child around 6:30 a.m., reports state.

According to 14 News, the child had eaten several strawberries at a school fundraiser on March 14. The boy started experiencing an allergic reaction and began to develop a rash. He was taken to the emergency room by his family but was brought home hours later. The next morning the family tried to wake the child for school, but he wasn't breathing, the news outlet reported.

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The boy's stepfather was arrested after his death

The boy’s stepfather, Antonio Person, was arrested almost two weeks after the boy’s death on March 26. Person is in the Hopkin's County Jail facing many charges including:

• Possession of marijuana
• Possession of drug paraphernalia
• Possession of a handgun by a convicted felon
• Trafficking of fentanyl
• Two out-of-county warrants
• Contempt of court liable, slander, resistance to order
• Second-degree manslaughter

Strawberries at fundraiser were tested, found to not be harmful

On Tuesday, April 9 the Hopkins County Health Department issued a statement with the results of the strawberries that were being given out at the school’s fundraiser.

The results, that were conducted by the Food and Drug Administration and the Kentucky State Lab, came back with negative traces of any harmful substances, according to the health department.

“If you froze the strawberries properly, we are no longer issuing a caution concerning them,” Public Health Director Denise Beach said in the statement.

Beach said the companies involved were very helpful with the investigation.

“There were 443 flats distributed by North and 535 flats distributed by Central; these strawberries were distributed by Juicy Fruit LLC, Southern Grown and Sizemore Farms,” Beach said. “We appreciate their concern for public safety. We were contacted by their Safety Director who was helpful and supportive.”

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X @forbesfineest.