Pierce County family wants accountability after 5-year-old nephew dies from fentanyl poisoning
May 14, 2025, 5:35 AM
Brentlee Lawrence, 5, with family. (Photo courtesy of 成人X站 7)
(Photo courtesy of 成人X站 7)
A Pierce County family wants more people to be held accountable after finding out their 5-year-old nephew died of fentanyl poisoning.
In March, deputies say Brentlee Lawrence, 5, was聽, 32-year-old Jordyn Shank.
On Monday, Shank was charged with first-degree manslaughter in Pierce County.
鈥淚t鈥檚 sad, and this shouldn鈥檛 have happened. He鈥檚 only five, and he will only ever be five,鈥� said the child鈥檚 uncle, Cody Parsons.
Cody and his wife, Cassandra, say they loved Brentlee like one of their own.
鈥淢y sister kind of shut me out after I threatened to take him if I ever caught her on drugs again. She didn鈥檛 answer my calls, she didn鈥檛 really let me spend time with him after that,鈥� said Cody.
The Parsons say the problems started when Brentlee was just a baby. They were his foster parents for about 8 months after he was born, until they say Brentlee鈥檚 father regained custody.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be here right now. We thought we could get him back,鈥� said Cassandra.
They say Shank, Brentlee鈥檚 mother, is not the only one who should be at fault for this tragedy.
Court documents show the child was living in filthy conditions with no running water or power.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 understand why nothing was done or why he wasn鈥檛 removed from the home after so many calls have been made,鈥� Cody added.
They believe state agencies need to be held accountable.
According to call logs from Pierce County deputies, there were at least nine concerned calls to check on Brentlee鈥檚 family.
鈥淭he state should do more, CPS should do more, and anybody that went into that home and saw his living conditions and didn鈥檛 call is also part of the problem,鈥� Cassandra explained.
Instead of watching him grow up, they鈥檙e mourning the life he won鈥檛 get to live.
鈥淚鈥檓 gonna grieve his loss longer than I鈥檝e known him. I鈥檒l never get to see his smile again, I鈥檒l never get to, get to spend more time with him,鈥� said Cassandra.
