DESTINY RIDDICK - 2 yo (2011)/ BOLO/Charged-Grandparents - Suffolk VA

Almost a year after a two-year-old girl died by ingesting a drug,
Suffolk Police are searching for the child’s grandparents on murder
charges. Debbie George with the City of Suffolk said on July 17,
2011, police along with units from Suffolk Fire and Rescue were
dispatched to the 1100 block of Truman Road in reference to a child not
breathing. There, they found Destiny Riddick, 2, unresponsive.
Destiny was transported to Sentara Obici Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Further
investigation showed Destiny ingested suboxone that had been kept in a
candy dish, George said. Investigators then sought grand jury
indictments for Kimberly Artis, 39, and Steven Bullock, 51, who were
Destiny’s grandparents.
George said a Suffolk Grand Jury issued
indictments for felony murder/homicide, felony abuse or neglect of a
child, possession of a schedule III drug and conspiracy to possess a
schedule III drug.
Bullock is also wanted for possession of marijuana, second offense.
The last known address for both Artis and Bullock was said to be in the 500 block of Jefferson Street in Portsmouth.
Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of either Artis or Bullock is asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/crime/grandparents-sought-for-childs-murder

Stepgrandmom sentenced in Suffolk toddler's death

January 14, 2013
SUFFOLK

The stepgrandmother of a 2-year-old girl who died after eating a narcotic kept in a candy container was sentenced Monday to more than seven years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and child neglect.

Kimberly Artis, 40, pleaded guilty to the charges in September.

The charges stemmed from the July 2011 death of Destiny Riddick at the home Artis shared with her boyfriend, Steven Wade Bullock.

According to court records, Destiny and another child were playing in Artis' bedroom while Artis, Bullock and the girl's stepfather were drinking and socializing in another room. The child's mother was at work.

The children found a Mentos candy container under a pillow, according to court records. The container contained Suboxone, a narcotic often used to treat heroin addiction.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney T. Marie Walls said Destiny ate an unspecified amount of the drug, thinking it was candy. The drug had been bought on the street a few days earlier, Walls said.

When Bullock discovered the child had eaten the drug, he took her to Sentara Obici Hospital where she was kept for observation for several hours and sent home.

The next morning, the child's mother found Destiny unconscious and called 911. A medical examiner determined she died of drug toxicity, Walls said.

Circuit Judge Carl Eason sentenced Artis to eight years with three suspended for involuntary manslaughter and five years with three suspended for child neglect. He also sentenced her to 12 months with six months suspended on possession of a controlled substance, and 12 months, all suspended, on a drug conspiracy charge.

In pronouncing sentence, Eason noted Artis had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse and was drinking at the time of the incident. He said while Artis did not intend to harm the child, her "lack of willpower resulted in this tragic death."

Bullock pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced last month to seven years and nine months in prison.

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/01/stepgrandmom-sentenced-suffolk-toddlers-death