Woman faces reckless homicide charge in death of 6-year-old adoptive son

HENRY COUNTY, Tenn. — A woman is now facing a reckless homicide charge in the August death of her 6-year-old adoptive son.

Karen Rowlett

Deputies have charged Karen Rowlett with reckless homicide in the Aug. 19, 2015, death of Ethan Newman after tests revealed a deadly amount of prescription and over-the-counter drugs in his system, according to a release from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.

Rowlett called 911 and reported the child was not breathing after she had kept him home from school because he had a sick stomach, according to the release.

The charge comes after an autopsy and nearly six months of toxicology blood work. The amount of drugs in the 47-pound, 6-year-old boy’s system was enough to have been fatal to an adult, according to the release.

Investigators say Rowlett confessed to giving the child the medication and said she did not say so at first because she felt she was the cause of his death by doing so, the release states.

Rowlett was issued a $50,000 bond. She was scheduled to appear Tuesday morning in General Sessions Court.

“We at the Henry County Sheriff’s Office are the voice for Ethan, and we are doing what’s right for him in solving this mysterious death of a small 6-year-old child,” Sheriff Monte Belew states in the release.