A young Indiana woman was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison for the death of her 3-year-old daughter who ingested fentanyl.
Makaylee Opperman, 21, of Evansville made a deal with prosecutors in October and pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute a drug, the Evansville Courier & Press reported.
Kamari Opperman died in 2021 after swallowing fentanyl pills found inside a nightstand, according to police. Two other children survived overdoses after receiving treatment.
Authorities at the time said more than 5,000 fentanyl pills were found inside the home.
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Vanderburgh County Judge Kelli Fink said the case was “heartbreaking.”
Defense attorney Jon Humphress asked for leniency, along with mental health and substance abuse treatment. Prosecutors sought a 30-year prison sentence.
“She is 21 years old. She has no prior felony convictions. She has two other children who need her," Humphress said.
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Family members traveled from Alabama to tell the judge that Opperman was a good mother who loved her children.
