Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Man Pleads Guilty to Causing Baby’s Overdose Death
A Columbus man who had relocated to Zanesville admitted his guilt in causing the drug overdose death of his 13-month-old son.
On December 13, Anthony W. Mixon, 40, of Zanesville pleaded guilty to felony child endangering and involuntary manslaughter.
On August 26, law enforcement responded to an emergency call about a dead baby.
When officers arrived, they were directed to a bedroom where they found the body of the dead 13-month-old. The baby’s grandmother met the police at the door.
The grandmother told police her son Anthony Mixon, a known fentanyl user, was in the home earlier in the evening but she was unaware when he left.
She was watching the child until the child went to sleep sometime after 10 p.m. The grandmother admitted to giving the child an adult-strength melatonin pill. Melatonin is used to help people sleep.
She noticed the child was groggy and out of sorts, but thought it was because of the melatonin.
Around 3 a.m., the grandmother noticed the baby was not breathing and was cold to the touch. Mixon eventually returned to the home after a night of using drugs with a friend.
An autopsy of the baby determined the death was a result of acute and toxic drug overdose. Toxicology reports showed the baby had fentanyl and cocaine in his bloodstream.
Mixon also pleaded guilty to charges that he bit a deputy officer while he was in jail on a suicide watch.
After being arrested and while in the jail, Mixon threatened to hurt himself
When officers tried to stop Mixon from hurting himself he became combative and bit an officer.
Muskingum County Prosecuting Attorney Ron Welch says Mixon’s case demonstrates why the Prosecutor’s Office pursues tough sentences for drug runners.
“This case is a good example of why our office seeks stiff penalties for drug traffickers,” Prosecutor Welch said. “A baby is dead because someone wanted to sell poison. In court, we hear family and friends talk about how nice a drug dealer is or how the drug dealer supports kids in the community or helps people out by paying some bills. Those acts do not undo the harm drug dealers create.”
Drug dealers are inherently selfish, Prosecutor Welch says.
“At the very core, the drug dealer is a selfish parasite that only cares about himself or herself,” Prosecutor Welch said. “Some people, mainly family members or friends of drug dealers, may view our penalties for drug dealers as too harsh, but there is no penalty harsh enough when a 13-month-old has to die so somebody can make easy money.”
Prosecutor Welch says some criminals deserve more punishment than what they get from the justice system.
“This office is dedicated to seeing justice served in every case, but in some cases, the criminals can never really get what they deserve.”
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