Pierce County man arrested in Yelm for son's fentanyl death
- Kyler W. Lawrence was arrested in Yelm during a traffic stop on Sunday.
- Lawrence faces a first-degree manslaughter charge for his son's 2025 death.
- The 5-year-old died from acute fentanyl toxicity in their Puyallup home.
- The child's mother, Jordan Shank, was previously charged in the case.
- Washington faces ongoing legislative gaps regarding child fentanyl exposure.
Lawrence, 32, was arrested in Yelm, Washington, on Sunday night during a traffic stop after deputies discovered the vehicle he was riding in lacked a license plate. A deputy stopped the vehicle and identified Lawrence as a passenger.
During the stop, deputies found drugs near Lawrence. A deputy stated on body camera footage, "I saw a baggie between his legs and I was like, ‘Hey, man, what’s that baggie between your legs?’ And he started stuffing it and I was like ‘No, I’ll pull it out." It was drugs, and Lawrence initially provided a false name to law enforcement.
Following his identification, authorities turned Lawrence over to Pierce County officials. He was extradited to a jail in that county.
First-degree manslaughter charges filed in 2025 death
Pierce County authorities charged Lawrence with first-degree manslaughter in connection with the March 2025 fentanyl-related death of his 5-year-old son, Brentlee Lawrence. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office obtained an arrest warrant for Lawrence in September 2026 based on "new information".
Details of the 2025 incident in Puyallup
On March 13, 2025, deputies responded to a medical aid call for 5-year-old Brentlee Lawrence at a home outside Puyallup. Jordan Shank, the mother, told deputies she fell asleep with the child around 7 p.m. on March 12 while he watched a show and ate chips.
Shank stated Lawrence woke her around 4 a.m. on March 13 to ask about the boy, noting the child "looked funny". Shank discovered the child with vomit on him, blue lips, and not breathing. She performed chest compressions while waiting for emergency responders.
The child was pronounced dead at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. The Pierce County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death as acute fentanyl toxicity.
Investigators found two pieces of tin foil with brown substances and a glass pipe in the child’s room. Shank admitted that she and Lawrence used fentanyl every day and took a hit in their roommate’s room the night before the death. While deputies were at the home, Lawrence hid in the attic rather than identifying himself.
Mother Jordan Shank previously charged
Authorities arrested Jordan Shank in May 2025 for first-degree manslaughter. WYMT reported that the arrest occurred two months after the child died.
Washington state child fentanyl exposure crisis
Washington state law, specifically RCW 9A.42.100, makes it a felony to expose a child to methamphetamine or the chemicals used to make it, but no equivalent law exists for fentanyl. A bill to address this legislative gap has passed the Washington state Senate four times but has never received a hearing in the House.
Fentanyl was involved in more than 76 percent of cases in 2025 where a Washington child died or nearly died from swallowing drugs or overdosing. Fentanyl-related near deaths in the state rose from 23 in 2022 to 42 in 2025.
Of the 35 children who died from abuse or neglect in 2025, 17 had an open case with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families at the time of death, and 11 more had a case closed within the previous year. Fourteen of the 17 children who died from abuse or neglect with an open case died while in their parents' care.
Every one of the 49 abuse or neglect near deaths in 2025 occurred while the child was in the legal custody of a parent or guardian. The Office of the Family and Children's Ombuds counted three deaths in 2025 and two deaths in 2024 of children who were returned home from foster care.
Kelsey Osborne, the aunt of Brentlee Lawrence, said she called Child Protective Services more than 10 times regarding him. She added that his pediatrician and neighbors also raised concerns.
Thurston County Board of Health policy review
Five Washington cities and counties have passed their own laws regarding child exposure to fentanyl, and the Thurston County Board of Health is currently reviewing the issue. Local boards of health have the authority to adopt rules to protect public health under RCW 70.05.060.
Commissioners Wayne Fournier, Rachel Grant, and Carolina Mejia placed two issues on the agenda of the Thurston County Board of Health: intoxicating products sold at local gas stations and the absence of any law against exposing a child to fentanyl. Fournier said he previously brought up making it a crime to expose a child to fentanyl and "got crickets".
The Thurston County Board of Health meets on the second Tuesday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for November 10.
Sheriff's office perspective on rising child victims
Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Carly Cappetto said fentanyl is the primary cause of many local deaths. The office is seeing an increasing number of child victims, according to Cappetto.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Father wanted in 5-year-old's fentanyl death arrested after Yelm traffic stop (komonews.com)
- Minor traffic violation leads to arrest of Pierce Co. father wanted for child’s 2025 fentanyl death (kiro7.com)
- Pierce County father arrested in connection with son’s fentanyl death nearly 20 months later - MyNorthwest.com (mynorthwest.com)
- Father charged more than a year after 5-year-old son’s fatal fentanyl overdose (wymt.com)
- Arrest Warrant For Father In 5-Year-Old’s Fentanyl Death (yahoo.com)
- A Five-Year-Old, a Fentanyl Death, and a Bill Olympia Won’t Hear (ewyattmendel.substack.com)
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