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A Maryland mother who found two of her children unconscious in their apartment has disclosed the heartbreaking cause of their deaths.
Kate Jones, a 33-year-old truck driver and mother of three, spent the night of January 15, 2024, coloring and watching a movie with her 10-year-old son, Gaige Dehaven, while her daughters, Skylar Alicemarie Jones-Miller, 14, and Allyson, 12, were in their room playing.
That night, Gaige, who shared a special bond with his older sister, left his bed to sleep in Skylar’s room, a routine he often followed. By the next morning, both siblings were found dead.
Authorities confirmed that the cause of death was fentanyl exposure. The source of the drug remains unknown, but the tragedy has left the family devastated and searching for answers.
“Skylar, my oldest—she’s my best friend. The one who made me a mom,” Jones said, according to PEOPLE. “And my son was my mama’s boy.”
The mother of three had left for work around 10 AM on January 16, thinking her children were still asleep. However, her truck broke down in the cold, forcing her to cut her shift short. On her way home, she received a chilling message from her daughter Allyson, saying her siblings weren’t waking up.
“I asked, ‘Are they breathing?'” Jones recalled. “I got to the house, ran up the steps, opened the door, and I knew. A 12-year-old little girl wouldn’t know, but I knew.”
Jones immediately instructed Allyson to call 911 and fetch her grandparents, who also lived in the home.
In a frantic attempt to save her children, Jones and her father tried CPR. When paramedics arrived, her mother, Kathy, said the responders quickly realized the teen couldn’t be revived but continued efforts to save Gaige. Sadly, it was too late, and both children were pronounced dead at the scene.
A search warrant was executed, and police seized cell phones and drug paraphernalia from the home, including a “baggie” found next to Skylar.
The bag was empty, and the family still doesn’t know how it ended up there. “When they told me what they found, I knew,” Jones said. “It was some kind of overdose.”
Now, the grandparents are caring for 13-year-old Allyson, who is in therapy and doing well. Meanwhile, Jones is receiving treatment for her mental health and is not currently living with the family, though she talks to Allyson every day.
“She’s struggling,” Kathy said of her daughter. “She went from being a mother of three to a mother of one, and she and Skylar were very close,” adding that “being well for Ally is the most important thing.”
The family is now focused on honoring Gaige and Skylar’s memory. In November, they donated baby blankets to a hospital for newborns who share the kids’ birthday. They also hope to install memorial benches and establish a scholarship at Perryville High School in their memory.
Jones is now urging parents to have open conversations with their children, regardless of how young or responsible they may seem.
“It could be your kid any day. Your kid could be an honor roll student in AP classes,” she said. “Your son could be playing on monkey bars, skating, or riding his bike with friends one day, and then… you just never know.”
