Mom Arrested In Baby's Death For Allegedly Using Heroin On Her Gums As Sleep Aid

A Maine woman reportedly stands accused of endangering the welfare of her 1-year-old daughter. The child died last year after the mom allegedly rubbed heroin on the child's gums to help her sleep, police said.

Kimberly Nelligan, 33, was arrested on September 17 — almost a year after her daughter was found dead in her home on October 10, 2018, the Bangor Daily News reported.

The child's name was Jordynn, according to Portland's WCSH-TV.

The medical examiner concluded Jordynn's death was due to "acute fentanyl intoxication," according to the Bangor Daily News.

Police interviewed the baby's father, Shane Smith, on several occasions to determine how his daughter potentially came into contact with heroin or fentanyl, according to the Portland Press Herald.

Police say Smith eventually told them he had seen Nelligan rubbing heroin residue on the baby's gums approximately 15 times in the two months leading up to her death, according to court documents cited by the Bangor Daily News.

"Shane said Kimberly was taking leftover baggies from their 'dope' and using the residue to put on the inside of Jordynn's gums to help her sleep," the affidavit reportedly reads .

Police said Nelligan initially denied using the drug but later admitted to investigators in Bangor that she snorted heroin.

Jordynn's father told police Nelligan said she had done the same thing to her two other children when they were younger, according to an affidavit cited by the Bangor Daily News.

After Jordynn's death, Nelligan allegedly told Smith that she, "didn't hurt our daughter on purpose," according to the Portland Press Herald.

On September 18, Nelligan pleaded not guilty to a charge of child endangerment and a charge related to possession of a Schedule Z drug.

In court, Nelligan, WCSH-TV reported, “made obscene gestures and mouthed inappropriate phrases.”

A judge released Nelligan without bail, according to the newspaper. Her release is conditional and requires no contact with her daughter’s father, no unsupervised contact with minors, and no drug use other than marijuana.

Bangor District Attorney Marianne Lynch reportedly said Nelligan could face additional charges. She is reportedly due back in court on November 12.

Read more: Bangor Daily News, WCSH-TV, Portland Press Herald