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Boston Couple Pleads Not Guilty to Manslaughter in Death of 5-Week-Old Daughter

Prosecutors cite autopsy findings showing fentanyl plus cocaine exposure in a malnourished, premature newborn.

Overview

  • A Suffolk County grand jury indicted Raynell L. Reed, 31, and Gerard L. Winn, 52, who were arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court, pleaded not guilty, and were ordered held on $100,000 cash bail with a Dec. 18 court date.
  • The state medical examiner ruled the death an acute intoxication from fentanyl plus cocaine in a premature infant with malnourishment and sepsis.
  • Toxicology found both drugs in the baby’s heart and liver blood, according to prosecutors.
  • Prosecutors allege the parents never sought medical care during the five weeks after the Dec. 5, 2024 home birth, and that the child weighed 2.5 pounds at death.
  • Defense counsel said Reed has been in residential treatment for fentanyl addiction, while Winn has cooperated with investigators and maintains innocence.