CHARLOTTE (WFCN) —
Using fentanyl as their cause of death, the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that a 7-month-old and a 4-year-old, who were discovered deceased on the same day as their mother, both passed away.
A 22-year-old woman named Markayla Johnson and her two young children, Miracle (four years old) and Messiah (seven months old), were discovered dead at an apartment on Orchard Trace Lane.
The family had reported Markayla missing on March 3, saying that they hadn’t seen her since January.
Benjamin Taylor, who was supposedly dating Markayla Johnson, was apprehended the following day in what authorities called a “lawless” locale in Imperial County, California. In addition to three counts of first-degree murder, he is also facing charges of concealment and failure to disclose death.
Toxicology reports indicate that the presence of fentanyl in the systems of both youngsters was the cause of their deaths.
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Messiah tested positive for cocaine and 4-ANPP, a molecule that is commonly used to illicitly produce fentanyl, at the age of seven months. The newborn’s system also contained two sedatives, diphenhydramine and melatoni.
The bodies of the two toddlers were discovered in two exercise bags in the trunk of Benjamin Taylor’s towed vehicle from the apartment building, according to the autopsies.
As far as anyone could tell, an adult had grabbed four-year-old Miracle, because she was covered in bruises. Disposable diapers wrapped her head, and a blue charging cord bound her hands.
At the time of their deaths, both kids seemed perfectly healthy.
The bodies of their mother, Markayla Johnson, were discovered in a plastic bag in a closet in the apartment, as stated in court records. Additionally, the property had a 62-degree temperature setting, fans running, and a number of used candles and air fresheners were discovered throughout.
After moving from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to an apartment on Orchard Trace Lane in the fall of 2023 to be with a “man she met online,” according to court filings, Johnson and her children stayed there.
Judgement on whether or not Benjamin Taylor will be sentenced to death is anticipated in court on August 22.