1/22/14 - A former Fowlerville couple pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges in the overdose death last year of a three-year-old child. 24-year-old Jared Kyle Brock and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Chelsie Lenee Marme entered pleas of not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse. Authorities say the pair were babysitting Brockâs 3-year-old niece August 31st at his motherâs home in Handy Township when the child is believed to have swallowed a Suboxone pill that belonged to Brock. The synthetic opiate is normally used for treatment of opiate dependence. Authorities say Brock and Marme were twice told to take the child to the hospital, first by friends they had called and then Poison Control, but that they failed to do so. They also didnât tell the childâs paternal grandmother about the pill before leaving the home that afternoon. She called 911 later that night to report the child wasnât breathing, but emergency personnel were unable to revive the child. Brock and Marme initially denied knowledge of the pill, but later admitted the child had swallowed it. Bail for Marme was set at $200,000. However, Brockâs bail was set at $500,000 because of his status as a habitual offender with past convictions for breaking and entering and domestic violence. An exam conference for the pair will be held January 28th. Proceedings are also underway to determine if the pair should lose the parental rights to their 7-month-old son. (JK)
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