A Phoenix mom, chargedwiththe meth overdose murder of her young daughter, had another child overdose nine years ago, according to court records.
Natalie Russell was living in an apartment near Dunlap and 19th avenues with her three youngest children in April, when her 22-month old daughter, Adalynn, died.
RELATED: Natalie Russell speaks to ABC15, disputes police claims
ABC15 uncovered court documents about a fourth child, born in 2005, who survived an overdose when he was a 2-year-old and is now living with other relatives.
The boy's dad filed to get emergency full custody in 2007, and a court filing says the boy was “brought to [the] ICU while in mom's care for ingesting a narcotic.” Natalie Russell, whose last name was Arkeh then, wasn't arrested, but child welfare workers were called.
The judge's custody order said Russell was “not presently fit to parent.”
This year, police say Russell didn't take Adalynn to the hospital after suspecting she drank methadone. Investigators believe Russell tried something she read on the internet: reviving the girl by injecting her with methamphetamine. It didn't work. Russell now faces a second-degree murder charge. It's unclear what role, if any, the information of this earlier drug incident will play in the murder trial.
Arizona's Department of Child Safety has revealed it received six alleged child abuse or neglect reports on Russell dating back to 2007. However, the details of those reports have not been released.
ABC15 contacted a relative of Russell's now 11-year-old son. They say he recovered fully and only saw his mom sporadically since 2007. ABC15 is not using the boy’s name to protect his identity.
