3
6
A mother found dead with her infant son at a Middle Tennessee home earlier this year died as a result of a drug overdose, autopsy results released Monday show. Her 1-year-old son, found strapped inside his car seat, died of starvation and dehydration.
Tiffany Spears, 32, and her son, Nicholas Crowder, were discovered dead Feb. 9 in their Butler Road home in Portland, about 35 miles northeast of Nashville.
Sumner County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the residence after a probation officer "making a home visit observed an obvious medical emergency," according to the sheriff's office.
An autopsy, conducted Feb.10 by Davidson County Assistant Medical Examiner Emily Dennison, shows Spears' cause of death to be acute combined drug toxicity from methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Her 15-month-old son Nicholas died due to starvation and dehydration.
Dennison ruled both their deaths accidental in nature.
Sheriff's Office Maj. Tim Bailey said Spears' 3-year-old child who survived was also found inside the residence and treated at a local hospital as a precautionary measure.