Nasville, Tennessee – The death of 23-month-old Ariel Rose in November 2022 has led to significant legal repercussions, including first-degree murder charges and a wrongful death lawsuit. The involvement of fentanyl in Ariel’s death while under the care of Jesse Mashburn and Melissa Sutton has raised critical concerns about child safety and the management of transitional housing facilities.
Ariel was under the care of Mashburn (36) and Sutton (46) when she ingested a fatal dose of fentanyl, a powerful opioid. This incident has not only resulted in their arrest on first-degree murder charges but also highlighted severe flaws in the child protection system. Ariel’s family had tried to gain custody through the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS), but their efforts were in vain, as their calls reportedly went unreturned by the DCS.
In response to the tragic loss, Ariel’s family has filed a lawsuit against Highroad Place, the transitional housing facility where the incident occurred, and the nonprofit organization managing it. The lawsuit accuses the facility of being a hub for drug activity, referring to it as a “drug den for users and dealers alike.” This claim is supported by the fact that Metro police responded to over 145 drug-related complaints at the facility in less than a year, including two incidents where deceased individuals were found with drug paraphernalia.
The lawsuit alleges that Highroad Place was aware of its persistent drug problems but failed to take effective measures to address them. Ariel had been at the facility for just two days when she was exposed to enough fentanyl to be lethal to several adults. Her father, Jonathan Rose, who was staying at Highroad Place but did not have custody, had entrusted her to a tenant known to be a drug user. This tenant reportedly left the fentanyl unsecured, leading to Ariel’s accidental ingestion.
The legal implications of this case are profound. Beyond the murder charges against Mashburn and Sutton, the lawsuit challenges the responsibility of transitional housing facilities in ensuring the safety of their residents, especially vulnerable children. It calls for accountability from such institutions in preventing similar tragedies.
Metro police initially investigated the case as a criminally negligent homicide, but the severity of the charges has since escalated. Both Mashburn and Sutton are currently detained with bail set at $100,000 each.
