Chattanooga toddler's death by pain patch ruled homicide

photo The death of a 1-year-old Chattanooga boy has been ruled a homicide by the Hamilton County Medical Examiner's Office.

The death of a 1-year-old Chattanooga boy has been ruled a homicide by the Hamilton County Medical Examiner's Office.

An autopsy report completed Saturday found that 23-month-old Demarcus Bryant died March 22 because of a lethal amount of Fentanyl in his bloodstream.

Fentanyl is a prescription pain medication.

According to the autopsy report, a patch that releases the medicine was found on the boy's back.

Chattanooga Police Department spokesman Tim McFarland said officers are in the process of speaking with the medical examiner's office and the District Attorney's office as part of an ongoing investigation into the death.

The boy was found dead in a playpen by his aunt, according to the report.

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