A Louisiana woman is facing second-degree murder charges months after she allegedly breastfed her 6-week-old daughter while high on crystal meth, killing her.
The New Orleans Advocate reported that Daisy Froeba was pronounced dead shortly after her mother, Brandie Froeba, 35, called 911 on August 16 and said she wasn’t breathing. Investigators said the mother—who was slurring her speech and appeared listless—told officers she had used marijuana a day earlier and submitted her blood for testing.
According to the newspaper, Brandie claimed she breastfed her daughter and fell asleep for a few hours. She reportedly said she woke up to find her daughter unresponsive and called 911.
WUVE reported that her blood test was completed in October, which revealed she had methamphetamine in her system. The autopsy report was completed the following month and stated that Daisy died of methamphetamine toxicity and listed her death as a homicide.
In September, Brandie reportedly posted on Facebook that Daisy had “passed peacefully in her sleep just simply because her brain did not tell her lungs to breathe.” She also wrote that her late daughter’s heart valves and tissues were donated to two other babies, according to The Advocate.
“I wouldn’t wish this pain on my darkest enemy,” she reportedly wrote. “It’s truly the most pain I never knew I could live through.”
Authorities said they recovered text messages from Brandie where she referred to using crystal meth. During their investigation, they discovered she had given birth in 2016 to her third child—who had reportedly tested positive for opiates and marijuana. At the time, she was provided with literature and counseled on the dangers of breastfeeding while using narcotics, according to the news station.
The Times-Picayune reported that the 6-week-old’s death was initially thought to be caused by sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. Now, authorities believe the newborn ingested a fatal dose of crystal meth through her mother’s breast milk.
“The mother tested positive for the same drugs on the date of the child’s death,” Assistant District Attorney Christina Fisher said in court.
Brandi has three other children, ages 3, 5, and 10. She has previous arrests for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to WVUE.
Bond was set at $250,000. Her next court date is scheduled for March 27.
[Featured image: Brandie Froeba/Kenner Police Department]
