BONNEY LAKE, Washington — Two Pierce County parents are currently in custody after being charged with the death of their one-year-old son.
Nicholas Tucker and Karlee Eley both face first-degree manslaughter charges in the death of their 15-month-old son, Weston Tucker.
Eley made her first court appearance on Wednesday, pleading not guilty and having bail set at $1 million, the same amount set for Tucker earlier this month.
“The defendant was arrested on a bench warrant in the Tri Cities yesterday, so I’m concerned about her flight risk. Christine Dickson, an attorney for the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, stated, “There are also some mental health issues at play here that make me and her family concerned for her safety.”
Police said that when they arrived at the couple’s apartment in March, they discovered drugs in multiple areas that a child could access, as well as the child being unresponsive on a bed with drugs. These drugs later tested positive for fentanyl, which the Pierce County Medical Examiner determined caused the baby’s death.
“They initially began providing medical aid to the child, including CPR, because the child was completely unresponsive,” said Chief Mark Berry of the Bonney Lake Police Department, who dispatched officers.
According to court documents, a biohazard cleaning company stated that it was the most drug residue they had ever seen in an apartment, outside of drug manufacturing facilities.
Police gathered evidence and waited for drug results before filing charges, and both parents were arrested within the last two weeks.
“You and I can make poor decisions, but a child cannot. “They are trusting their parent and the people that their parent surrounds them with to look after themselves,” said Chief Berry. “That is why, as a police department and as legislators, we must intervene to ensure that those who can defend themselves are protected. That is our job; whether you are a police officer or a state legislator, it is your job.”
Berry believes state legislators should change the laws to better protect children in these situations.
Nearly a year before the child’s death, in April 2024, police said they arrested the child’s father for a drug-related DUI. They said the father was passed out and had drugs in his car, which also contained children’s items and a car seat.
“At that time, we found narcotics in child snack containers in the car,” Berry told me.
Police say that when the child’s mother arrived to pick up the car and informed them that her child rides in that car for transportation, they warned her about the dangers of having drugs near children.
“This will end disastrously. “You need to make some changes in your life,” Chief Berry said, referring to what a detective told Eley. “We then referred the case to Child Protective Services. Fast forward nine months, and we now have a deceased child, which was entirely preventable.”
