Judge sentences mother to prison for child's fentanyl-related death

Published on August 30, 2024

GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A mother has been sentenced to prison in connection to her young daughter’s fentanyl-related death in 2022.  

Weld County District Court Judge Vincente Vigil sentenced 32-year-old Mystique Sade Wadena to 17.5 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections Friday morning.

As part of a plea agreement, the defendant pled guilty to one count of child abuse resulting in death – criminal negligence, a class three felony. The parties stipulated to the 17.5 year prison sentence.

On May 2, 2022, emergency personnel responded to a 911 call placed from a hotel room in Firestone.

When paramedics and police arrived, they found a 12-year-old female who was unresponsive. 

The child was immediately taken to Longs Peak Hospital, and then transferred to Children’s Hospital in Aurora.  She was later pronounced dead on May 7, 2022.  An autopsy concluded the child died of complications related to acute fentanyl toxicity.

During the investigation, police determined that Wadena had been using and dealing fentanyl from her hotel room.  She had arranged to have her three minor children, who were not in her legal custody, brought to the room for a visit the night before the 911 call. 

During their visit, two of the children consumed some of their mother’s fentanyl pills, which killed the 12-year-old.

“The severity of the defendant’s choices, and the impact this has had on not only her family and other children, but quite frankly the rest of our community, is simply devastating,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wrenn said during Friday morning’s sentencing hearing. “No amount of time in prison will bring this child back, but we do believe this is an appropriate sentence. We hope this sends a message to our community that this type of negligent behavior won’t be tolerated in Weld County.”

Detectives with the Firestone Police Department and Weld County Drug Task Force investigated this case.