Arizona woman whose baby died of fentanyl overdose sentenced to 15 years in prison

PHOENIX – An Arizona woman whose baby died of a fentanyl overdose last year was sentenced to 15 years in prison this week, authorities said.

Sarah Caitlin Burnette, 23, of the Salt River-Pima Maricopa Indian Community was sentenced by a federal judge Monday after previously pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said in a press release.

Burnette’s 18-month-old boy died on February 27, 2021, after ingesting fentanyl, prosecutors said.

Burnette was responsible for her son’s overdose and also exposed another child to the same risk, prosecutors said.

She initially was arrested on counts of murder and child abuse

The case was jointly investigated by the Salt River Police Department and FBI.

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