Arizona Mother Charged with Murder After Child Dies of Narcotic Overdose

A Chandler mother has been charged with murder after her daughter was found dead after high levels of methadone was found in her system.

Methadone is a narcotic used as a substitute drug in the treatment of morphine and heroin addiction.


On April 14th, Chandler police responded to a Chandler home where a two-year-old was found unresponsive. The mother, Shae’d Bowen, informed officers that her daughter had picked up a bottle of her methadone medication in the trash the evening before. According to police, her other child, also showed signs of methadone intoxication. Both children were tested for the drug at the hospital. Court paperwork revealed while waiting for the test results, the two-year-old died at the hospital. Court documents stated that the amount of methadone found in her system was most likely “either a single high dose or a prolonged exposure” to the drug. An autopsy report confirmed the death was a result of an overdose of methadone.

During an interview with detectives, Bowen said that her daughter had been acting “fussy” and that she gave her kids melatonin to help them sleep. Police continued questioning about the empty medicine bottle found in the trash. Bowen said that her children would not drink the medication because of the “nasty taste” it had. However, she admitted that she had not been taking it regularly. Bowen also said that she didn’t see any signs of either child reacting to methadone or any other drug.

Investigators conducted an interview with the seven-year-old child, asking her to open the bottles herself. The child was unable to. The child detailed that her mother would give them “obedience” medicine every night. Investigators asked if she saw her little sister drink from the bottle of methadone in the trash. The child did not answer but did say that she stopped her little sister from continuing to mess with the bottle.

Police arrested Bowen on probable cause showing “reckless disregard” for her children, court documents said. Bowen now faces second-degree murder and child abuse charges.