Mother Fatally Overdosed On Drugs, Then Smothered Her Baby To Death, Police Say

Two lives were lost when a Georgia woman overdosed on methamphetamines and accidentally smothered her infant son to death, according to authorities.

A spokesperson from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said the bodies of Holly Whitley, 31, and her 8-month-old son were discovered in a home July 17 after concerned family members contacted law enforcement, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Whitley's 2-year-old daughter was also found in the home unharmed.

When deputies arrived at the home, they found Whitely dead on a sofa. She was lying on top of her son, who has been identified as Alex Fuentes, according to the Woodstock Patch.

Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jay Baker said the deaths have been ruled accidental and occurred when Whitley's body "came to rest on top of her infant, which caused the child to smother," the news organization reports.

Whitley's family contacted authorities after they hadn't been able to reach her and requested a welfare check, the sheriff's office said.

Although the bodies were discovered in July, the cause of death couldn't be officially determined until toxicology results were received.

The official cause of death for Whitley was determined to be methamphetamine toxicity, while her son's cause of death has been listed as mechanical asphyxia, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports.

Whitley's young daughter is reportedly now staying with family.

One of Whitley's neighbors, Matt Freeman, told WGCL he was shocked to learn of the two deaths.

"It's just very surprising. I mean, this neighborhood is safe. It's been a safe neighborhood, so I don't know what to say," he told the station "I would be shocked if it's anything other than a freak incident."

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