The mother of a Davenport toddler, who tragically passed away after ingesting illegal drugs, is seeking to withdraw her guilty plea, while the child’s father has received a letter of support from his own mother, according to court records.
According to court documents, the 26-year-old parents are scheduled for two separate hearings in mid-November in Scott County Court.
Previously, Tyler Akright and Malea Wilson had pleaded guilty to charges of child endangerment – serious injury, child endangerment – bodily injury, and child endangerment, as indicated in the records.
In a handwritten document, Wilson has requested that she be permitted to retract her guilty plea “and all statements made upon accepting the plea offer on September 21, 2023.” She cited confusion during the plea proceeding and misunderstanding of the questions from prosecuting attorneys as reasons for her request.
Wilson had initially been set for sentencing on November 16 in Scott County Court. However, her upcoming hearing will now address her request to withdraw her guilty plea, as per the court documents.
In a letter dated October 9, Akright’s mother expressed her support for her son and provided insight into their family dynamics:
“Tyler and Malea regularly spent time with the family on weekends, attending football games and enjoying cookouts. Tyler was a responsible parent who did not leave his children with babysitters to go out to bars and party. He never missed a family gathering. We all miss him, and he will have a strong family support system when he is released. I implore you to review the evidence and recognize that he did not have fentanyl in his home, has never been caught with those drugs, and never tested positive for them.”
The letter acknowledges the difficult decision to plead guilty to charges even if one is innocent and the fear experienced by the accused.
Akright’s mother emphasized her son’s positive qualities, including his steady job and responsible bill payments, and urged the consideration of probation for the misdemeanor charge while running the other charges concurrently. She concluded the letter, signing it as “a desperate mom.”
The incident in August 2021 involved Davenport Police responding to a report of a 31-month-old toddler wandering alone in an alley at 2:22 a.m. The back door to the child’s residence was found open. A consent search of the residence revealed a significant amount of drugs, including almost 800 grams of marijuana, 75 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, and 2.4 grams of cocaine. Additionally, text messages on a seized cell phone indicated an attempt to acquire “percs” (Percocet) mixed with Fentanyl.
On October 11, 2021, the police were called to the same residence due to a child not breathing. It was alleged that Akright and Wilson used and sold controlled substances, putting their 22-month-old son at substantial risk, leading to his tragic death from acute fentanyl intoxication. Drug tests on both children revealed positive results for cocaine, methamphetamine, and THC, according to affidavits.
READ MORE
New Jersey’s Newest Dining Sensation: Enjoy a Complimentary Dinner Tonight!