Adults sentenced in helium death of teen girl
MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) - A man and woman who threw a party for teens featuring booze and pot will spend time behind bars for their roles in the death of a 14-year-old Oregon girl who died after inhaling helium.
The two adults dropped their not guilty pleas in Jackson County Circuit Court in Medford on criminal charges stemming from the February 2012 death of 14-year-old
of Eagle Point. Prosecutors said they delayed medical attention for the girl, who collapsed from an embolism in the brain that ultimately killed her.
The Mail Tribune reported that Katherine McAloon, 28, was sentenced to 28 months in prison and $300 restitution after pleading no contest to criminal mistreatment and guilty to delivering marijuana and alcohol to minors. Richard Mowery, 33, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and $10,000 restitution after pleading no contest to criminally negligent homicide.
Prosecutors said the pair were not malicious but showed poor judgment.
Authorities said Ashley went with friends to a birthday party at McAloon's apartment in Medford, where she inhaled from a tank of helium to make her voice sound funny. She collapsed after an air bubble entered her blood stream and blocked the flow of blood to her brain. Prosecutors said McAloon and Mowery delayed medical attention
Ashley's family and friends filled the courtroom as her mother read a written statement, saying her life had been changed forever.
"This is all I have left," she said, holding up a small lock of her daughter's hair in a small plastic bag.
Stepfather Justin Earp described Ashley as a bright, compassionate girl who had a 3.5 grade point average, wanted to be a marine biologist and was loyal to her friends.
"She was the type of girl that would befriend the kid in school that no one else would," Earp said.
"Ashley, we all miss you forever, Ashley," Earp read from a letter from one of Ashley's sisters. "I wish I could give you a hug."
Tho my heart aches for the loss of any child, my prayers to the family . no one will ever heal from this horrible event, bad mouthing and casting hate does not change any thing. your feeding the news media is all your doing.. and at the cost of some ones loss and sorrow.....i  in no way agree with the judgement of these adults, the sentencing, or the 3.5  14 year olds choice to take part to the event....thank you.Â
Breathing in pure Helium deprives the body of oxygen. Inhaling it creates a diffusion gradiant in the lungs that washes out oxygen. If you're sucking on a pressurized tank it can accelerate the process and you can suffocate.  Depending on the presssure, your lungs could rupture and hemmorage. These things alone are a risk to your well being.
Then, these people chose to add into the mix an atmosphere of underage drinking and marijuana usage.Â
These are still children right??? Â
There was absolutely, without a doubt, several crimes committed by these folks. The most serious was a resulting death of someone's child culminating from a multitude of bad choices and decisions. The penalties imposed are not nearly severe enough.
I hope the image of someone elses child dying because of their decisions that day haunts them forever. The loss will surely efffect the girl's family for the same time frame.Â
@flor3nc3Â Children by edict
"Stepfather Justin Earp described Ashley as a bright, compassionate girl who had a 3.5 grade point average"Â
GPA does not equate to common sense. SHE chose to use an inhalant and paid the ultimate price for HER mistake.Â
Tsk tsk. Shame on you godless...that was merely a child (at 14) that you're trying to hold accountable for her own demise. All the while ignoring the pot and alcohol provided by two adults in their home. Clearly not behavior her parents would have approved of. Everyone has their own opinions of course, but the law is there to protect children for a reason. That's why these idoits were charged and found guilty...does that help you to understand??
@flor3nc3 my 14 year old was accountable for his act of violence or bad choice making, he is doing 30 years in prison...gotta love measure 11
Sometimes the bad choices kids make are judged harmful enough to jusify more compelling punishment.   I am a fan of measure 11
The drug and alcohol thing, I understand, but there is no homicide here, I would be surprised if the embolism was an air bubble, I suspect it was helium, so how did it move across the pressure gradient, once across the barrier it would not dissolve in the blood stream and cause the embolism, The blood has a tremendous affinity for Oxygen, bubbles are easily absorbed, They may have pleaded to a crime they did not commit. and how do they think treatment would have been effective? to my knowledge the bubble would have to be located and aspirated in a time frame to avoid damage or death, I wonder if the pot made it easier for the helium to move across the pressure gradient? lots of questions going unanswered. So, these are progressive liberal types right? thought so...
How did he get off so easily?
I don't care how malicious they were not...nor how remorseful they were...They are guilty of that girls death. Â That is not NEARLY enough punishment.
@Phil you also must of voted for measure 11
what a couple of idiots
@censoredirawoody  yeah times 3