Mother, Grandfather Plead Not Guilty In Fentanyl Death Of LA County Toddler

LANCASTER, CA — The mother of a 17-month-old boy who died due to fentanyl ingestion during a visit supervised by social services pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murder and other charges.

Jessica Dominique Darthard, 39, is charged along with her father, 73- year-old Jessie Milton Darthard, who also pleaded not guilty in connection with the Feb. 18 death of the toddler, Justin Bulley.

The boy died due to the "effects of fentanyl," The county Medical Examiner's Office concluded.

Prosecutors argue that evidence shows the boy's maternal grandfather has purchased fentanyl the morning of Justin's death and smoked it out of a glass pipe in the living room while Justin was lying next to him.

"He fell asleep, and then woke up at 6 p.m. with Justin B. lying on the couch next to him, unresponsive," reads a motion filed by Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami.

, which noted that sheriff's deputies reported that the boy's mother had "slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and smelled of alcohol."

Justin was among three children removed from Jessica Darthard's custody in May 2023 after they witnessed her boyfriend's death from a fentanyl overdose. She was allowed monitored visits with the children through the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services on the weekends, according to prosecutors.

Secret Rodcliff Daniel, a 30-year-old friend of Darthard, was serving as a monitor approved by DCFS and was responsible for overseeing Darthard's visits with her children, including Justin.

Authorities went to the home in response to a call about an unresponsive toddler on Feb. 18. Justin was transported to Antelope Valley Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to prosecutors.

The day before, Jessica Dartland and Daniel had collected the children at a designated pickup location, according to prosecutors.

Two of Jessica Darthard's other children and three of Daniel's children also subsequently tested positive for fentanyl exposure, prosecutors said.

Darthard, her father and Daniel were charged Sept. 26, with additional counts subsequently being added against both women.

Jessica Darthard is now charged with her son's death, along with three counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death involving the boy and two of her other children. She is also charged with one count of a lewd act on a child under 14 involving one of Daniel's children and two counts of corporal injury to a child involving two of Daniel's children.

Daniel is charged with four counts of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death — one involving Darthard's toddler son and the other three involving three of Daniel's own children, along two counts of corporal injury to a child involving Daniel's own two children.

Darthard and her father were arrested in October by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, while Daniel was taken into custody Nov. 20.

All three remain behind bars while awaiting a hearing Feb. 10 in a Lancaster courtroom to determine if there is enough evidence to allow the case against them to move forward to trial.

Justin's father, Montise Bulley, held a news conference in June with attorney Brian Claypool to announce a $65 million damages claim against the DCFS, saying it should have known the child was unsafe in the Lancaster home.

Claypool said the child died while his mother and her father were in the midst of a binge, and that a history of drug and other suspect activity was well-documented in the home and should have triggered the removal of Justin and his siblings from the home.

“How in the world did this happen?” Claypool told the Los Angeles Times. “There’s one answer: because we have a pathetic L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services in Lancaster. It’s absolutely horrific.”

DCFS previously declined to comment on the case, citing the pending litigation.

City News Service contributed to this report.