Island County awaits lab, autopsy results in Oak Harbor toddler death

Island County prosecutors are waiting for Washington State Patrol crime lab and autopsy results before deciding whether to pursue more serious charges in the death of an Oak Harbor toddler. The 2-year-old boy died on May 24, and a preliminary urinalysis reportedly showed cocaine and fentanyl, but investigators say they still do not know exactly how the drugs got into his system.

The case is moving on two tracks at once. One is the death investigation itself, which could lead to additional charges tied directly to the child’s death once the lab work is complete. The other is a separate criminal case against the boy’s mother, 34-year-old Jessica L. Kido, who was arrested last month on suspicion of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Island County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Cliff set bail at $300,000.

Kido was arraigned on June 9 and pleaded not guilty. Court filings show she now faces a charge of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and 10 counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree. Prosecutors say she was barred from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction in North Carolina.

Police records say Kido called 911 shortly before 9 p.m. on the night the child died, reporting that he was in distress. Paramedics took him to WhidbeyHealth Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Detectives later searched the apartment and reported finding suspected fentanyl, more than $6,000 in cash, a digital scale, a notebook that appeared to track drug sales and about 30 firearms locked in a garage safe.

A 4-year-old child living in the apartment was taken into protective custody. The unresolved toxicology and autopsy findings are expected to be central to whatever prosecutors decide next, including whether the evidence supports charges more serious than those already filed.

Island County’s coroner says death investigations can include scene investigation, witness and family interviews, medical records reviews, attending physician opinions, toxicology studies and thorough body examinations, with an autopsy done when necessary. In court records, Washington State Courts says its name-and-case search is updated every day at 3 a.m. and serves only as a reference tool, while the Island County Superior Court Clerk handles the court’s record keeping and financial duties.