Mother indicted in toddler’s overdose death hires attorney

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A mother indicted in the fentanyl-overdose death of her 2-year-old son appeared in court on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Whitney Ard attended a motion hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. During the hearing, it was announced Ard hired an attorney and is no longer using a public defender.

Attorney Dale Glover will serve as Ard’s lawyer.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 27.

Ard was indicted for second-degree in September of 2022 in connection with the fentanyl overdose death of her son, Mitchell Robinson III, 2.

She pled not guilty to the second-degree murder charge.

A coroner’s report revealed the child died from acute fentanyl toxicity. Authorities said 14 mL of fentanyl was found in the child’s blood.

Emergency responders rushed Robinson from his home to the hospital on Sunday, June 26, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving, according to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.

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