On the morning of January 16, 2024, Kate Jones could never have imagined the nightmare awaiting her.
It was a snowy day in Perryville, Maryland, and her kids —Skylar, 14, Gaige, 10, and Allyson, 12 — were all home for a day off from school.
Kate, who worked as a truck driver and clocked in long hours, had just left for work around 10 a.m. At the time, she thought her two oldest children were still sleeping, unaware of the devastation that would unfold just hours later.
Couldn’t wake the children
The night before, everything had seemed normal. Kate had spent the evening with her son Gaige, coloring and watching a movie. Her daughters Skylar and Allyson were in their own room, playing as usual. Gaige, as he often did, ended up in his sisters’ room, something that was a common comfort for him. Skylar and Gaige were incredibly close.
But the next morning, things took a devastating turn. Allyson, who had woken up before her siblings, sent Kate a text saying she couldn’t wake Skylar or Gaige.
Kate rushed home, her heart pounding in her chest. When she arrived at the house, she could feel the weight of the situation immediately.
”I opened the door and I looked in, and of course I knew,” she told People.
Without hesitation, she told Allyson to call 911.
When emergency responders arrived, they did what they could to save her children. Skylar and Gaige, however, were already gone.
Cause of death shocked them
The cause of death: fentanyl overdose. A tragedy beyond comprehension.
Kate, still reeling from the loss of her two oldest children, struggles to make sense of what happened. Of course, nobody expects to hear that your babies have fentanyl in their bodies.
In an emotional interview with People, she shared:
”Skylar, my oldest — that’s my best friend. The one who made me a mom. And my son was my mama’s boy.”
The discovery of a small baggie near Skylar raised questions. While it’s still unclear how the drug ended up in their home, Kate and her mother, Kathy, believe the fentanyl may have come from something Skylar received from a student at school.
According to People, the investigation continues, with no one yet facing charges.
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The children’s grandmother, remembers the frantic moments after the discovery. ”We did CPR on them,” Kathy recalled. ”When they told me what they found, I knew. It was some kind of overdose.”
The Maryland State Police (MSP) confirmed that both Skylar and Gaige were pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy and toxicology report later determined that both siblings had tested positive for fentanyl, and their deaths were ruled as an accidental overdose.
Kathy has shared her grief over the loss of her grandchildren in the public Facebook group, LostVoices Of Fentanyl Inc 501c3.
”This is really my first public post about my loss. I joined because I lost my grandaughter Skylar age 14 and Grandson Gaige age 10 to fentanyl poisoning that Skylar got from another child on 1/16/24,” she wrote and continued:
”Skylar was beautiful, funny and an honor roll student. Gaige was all boy, silly, loved turtles and riding his bike. I saw them every single day of their lives (almost) My peace comes in knowing that they knew how much i loved them and i knew how much they loved me. i now take care of their only sibling Ally age 13. My daughter is not ok, so right now we are all ally has. My goal for the future is to do any and everything to honor them. i think of them every single day.”
Skylar has been described as a a smart, vibrant teen with had big dreams. She loved experimenting with makeup and was always focused on her eyelashes.
She also enjoyed spending time on social media, capturing photos, and connecting with her friends and family. Skylar had big dreams for the future, aspiring to become an interior designer and music producer. She was also an active member of the Salvation Army Youth Group and was recognized for her strong work ethic.
Gaige, was a caring 10-year-old, an ”all-American little boy” who loved dinosaurs and had a heart full of kindness.
Kate is still searching for answers. How did her children come into contact with fentanyl? It’s a question that haunts her every day – but more than a year after their deaths, authorities have yet to identify the source of the fentanyl that caused their overdose.
Now, Kate is doing everything she can to be there for her youngest child, Allyson, who is in therapy and working through the pain.
Sadly, the family has faced even more heartache since the deaths. In November 2024, James Dehaven, Gaige’s biological father, died by suicide. His grief, compounded by the loss of his children, left a deep scar. Kate says that James had been in recovery from addiction at the time of their deaths, and the kids had never witnessed his active struggles.
This heartbreakingly familiar story is a stark reminder of the fentanyl epidemic sweeping across the nation, a tragedy that claims the lives of over 80,000 people every year. For Kate, this loss is unbearable, and the pain of losing her children to an overdose is something she will carry forever.
The investigation is ongoing, but for now, all Kate and Kathy can do is hold on to the memories of Skylar and Gaige, two young lives taken too soon.
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