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Dead baby's mother accused of drugging other children

Stacey Barchenger
sbarchenger@tennessean.com

Emergency responders found Jamey Chaffin sitting on the front steps of her home holding the body of her 22-month-old son on June 20, 2013.

The mother, now 30, was indicted and accused of giving the boy a dose of her prescription morphine to try and put him to sleep.

New test results show Chaffin, of Nashville, may have given prescription drugs to her other three children. She was re-indicted earlier this month on additional charges.

The FBI tested hair samples from Chaffin's three other children, who court records say were ages 7, 5, and 2 at the time of her arrest. Lab reports, which are part of the public case file, show positive results for oxycodone, a prescription painkiller, and drugs used to treat anxiety and depression.

Assistant District Attorney General Brian Holmgren said the testing shows it was Chaffin, not her husband, Chris Chaffin — who also was charged in the case — who administered the deadly drugs. She had prescriptions for all but one of those medications, he said. He also said the testing proves the children did not accidentally take the medication.

"This evidence establishes … that the fatal dose of morphine was deliberately ingested by this child," Holmgren said. "Because three other children have three other drugs or four different drugs administered to them over multiple months over different time periods."

Using a formula based partially on the rate of hair growth, the testing showed positive results for the drugs for several months between January and September 2013, according to court documents.

Laura Getz, Chaffin's public defender, said during at least part of that time the children were not in Chaffin's custody. She also raised concern about how the children came into contact with the drugs.

"I think there are multiple questions in this document, including the (FBI) agent's assertion that these substances could be transmitted by sweat," Getz said. "That is something that we certainly would like to explore."

Holmgren asked Criminal Court Judge Mark Fishburn last week to revoke or increase Chaffin's bond because of the new charges. Fishburn allowed Chaffin to stay out of custody pending trial on the $65,000 bond she had already posted.

She will have to undergo drug testing and GPS monitoring, court records show. Her trial tentatively is set for August.

Reach Stacey Barchenger at 615-726-8968 and on Twitter @sbarchenger.

Charges

A Davidson County grand jury earlier this month issued new charges against a couple accused of giving their children prescription narcotics, allegedly to make the children sleep. One of the children, a 22-month-old boy, died in 2013. Autopsy reports showed he had a deadly amount of morphine in his system.

Jamey Chaffin, 30, is now facing 29 charges. Those include two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of child neglect and 12 counts each of aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect. A trial date is set for Aug. 31.

Christopher Chaffin, 23, is facing three charges of child neglect. He is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 7 on those new counts.