‘Shakes me to my core’: Infant dies after using fentanyl-coated pacifier and bottles while her parents ran a dogfighting ring, police say

A South Carolina mother is behind bars over a shocking series of allegations including a dead infant and several abused animals.

Sara Constance Shakeri-Taylor, 39, stands accused of one count of homicide by child abuse, three counts of conspiracy, three counts of animal fighting or baiting, and one count of ill treatment of animals, according to the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

The deceased girl in the case was all of 10 months old when she died of a fentanyl overdose, law enforcement allege.

On May 15, sheriff’s deputies were called to the defendant’s residence on Hardwood Street in Ladson — a census-designated place that spans three South Carolina counties and which is located some 20 miles northwest of Charleston — regarding an unresponsive infant.

On the day of the incident, the child’s father, Sandy Gathers, 41, came home from work at around 3 p.m. to find the child “lying on her stomach” at the foot of the bed — and Shakeri-Taylor fast asleep, according to an affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.

“Gathers advised that the defendant was with the child and is the primary caregiver for the child,” according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies on the scene attempted lifesaving efforts on the girl until firefighters and paramedics could arrive, but efforts were all in vain.

The child was taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced deceased, the sheriff’s office said. An autopsy was unable to determine any “obvious injuries” or a cause for the baby girl’s death, however, a toxicology lab report came back from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) that showed the infant had “a large amount” of fentanyl in her system, law enforcement alleges.

The affidavit suggests the child was all but covered in the highly potent and often fatal drug — and states directly that the girl, who is not being named, died from a fentanyl overdose.

“Evidence collected from the incident location at the time of the incident included baby bottles, formula, [a] pacifier, and a dollar bill with a powder substance,” the court document reads. “These items were sent to the SLED lab for analysis. All of these items were positive for the presence of fentanyl. The defendant [redacted] both advised that the bottles and formula were used by [redacted] prior to her death.”

During a subsequent interview with investigators, Shakeri-Taylor allegedly admitted to previously using fentanyl and an awareness of its effects — but she refused to provide a blood sample on the day her daughter died, according to the sheriff’s office. The affidavit goes on to cite an advising toxicologist who explained that the amount of the drug in the infant’s system could only “be ingested orally.”

“As a parent, it shakes me to my core to see people be so careless and negligent with their children. This mother made a terrible decision, and she is where she belongs,” Charleston Sheriff Kristin Graziano said in a statement. “The people of Charleston County should be advised that my deputies work hard to get people like this off the street.”

Shakeri-Taylor was originally held at the Dorchester County Detention Center but last week was transported to the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston. She is being held without bond, jail records show.

A subsequent investigation charged both the defendant and Gathers — the baby girl’s father — with a series of animal cruelty-related offenses over allegations of facilitating dog fighting.

“While investigating the home where the infant fatality occurred, deputies and SLED agents located approximately 15 dogs, most of which appeared to be a breed of pit bull,” an early June press release from the sheriff’s office reads. “Other items found in the residence and on the property are widely known to be used for dog fighting. Due to the nature of the offense and concern for the health of the animals, a search warrant was obtained.”

In court documents obtained by Law&Crime, deputies executing the search warrant detailed the presence of “approximately 14 dogs appearing to be American Pit Bull Terriers” who were “tethered and caged around the premises by heavy-duty metal chains and arranged in a manner consistent with the planned separation of fighting dogs.” Investigators also found a series of alleged dog fighting implements including “a wooden slat-mill treadmill and digital weight measuring devices attached to dog collars.”

Initially, Gathers was arrested on a limited number of charges — which later expanded substantially. He currently stands accused of four counts of animal fighting or baiting, five counts of ill treatment of animals, nine counts of conspiracy, one count of hindering an officer, and 15 counts of being a violent felon in possession of a firearm. He is not charged in the child’s death.

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