When one hears the phrase "feel good medicine," one would expect that it has nothing to do with heroin. However, it is a different case with a Washington couple who are facing a number of charges due to allegedly injecting heroin into their three little children, The Washington Post reported.
The Washington couple was identified as 24-year-old Ashlee Hutt and 25-year-old Mac Leroy McIver. They were charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance to a person under 18, assault of a child in the second degree and criminal mistreatment in the second degree. The affidavit was said to be filed in September in Pierce County Superior Court. It is unclear why the case was made public only now.
Hutt appeared in court on Monday for her arraignment. She remains in jail on a $100,000 bond. McIver was arraigned in September and has the same amount of bond with Hutt. The couple both pleaded not guilty.
Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman, Detective Ed Troyer, said in a statement that the kids lived in deplorable conditions and the living situation was not good even without the issue of heroin. He added, "We unfortunately find kids living in deplorable conditions all too often, but we don't see parents intentionally putting drugs into kids."
The three kids ages two, four and six, who have not been named and whose genders were not revealed, were placed into protective custody. The children were removed from the home in November 2015 and as per the probable cause affidavit, multiple individuals were living at the residence and everyone was using heroin.
The two-year-old child tested positive on heroin. They also found bruises on the toddler's body that reportedly came from drug injections. The six-year-old told social workers that McIver choked him and his siblings and gave them the "feel good medicine," Time reported. The medicine was described by the child as white powder mixed with water. The parents then used a needle to inject the feel good medicine into the siblings. The six-year-old continued to reveal that he and his sisters fell asleep after being injected with the "feel good medicine."
Hutt and McIver admitted that they are heroin users. However, they said that the babysitter was responsible for injecting heroin into the three children.
