Prosecutors await toxicology in Oak Harbor child death case

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Prosecutors are waiting for the results of an autopsy before making any charging decision in the case of an Oak Harbor toddler who died on May 24.

Police arrested the child’s mother, 34-year-old Jessica L. Kido, on suspicion of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver last month. Island County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Cliff set her bail at $300,000.

A preliminary urinalysis test on the 2-year-old boy’s body returned positive results for cocaine and fentanyl, according to a police report on the case. Formal toxicology results, however, will be determined by the Washington State Patrol’s crime lab and may take time.

Kido currently faces charges unrelated to the child’s death. On June 1, prosecutors charged her with one count of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and 10 counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree.

Court documents state that Kido was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm because she was convicted of “obtaining property by false pretense,” a felony charge in North Carolina.

Kido appeared in court Monday for arraignment and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

If convicted of the drug and firearms charges, Kido could face up to 10 years in prison under the standard sentencing range, according to court documents.

According to a report by Oak Harbor Police Detective Shantel Ricci, Kido called 911 shortly before 9 p.m. to report the child was in distress. Paramedics transported the child to WhidbeyHealth Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Kido told police she had put the child down for a nap several hours earlier and discovered blood on him when she checked on him later, the report states. She also reportedly told officers the child had behavioral issues that caused him to hit his head during tantrums.

A 4-year-old child who was also in the apartment was unharmed and later taken into protective custody by the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Kido told police her husband was deployed with the Navy and that she had been alone with the children that day.

Detectives arrested Kido at her home May 27. According to the report, she admitted to smoking fentanyl each morning in her SUV.

Police later served a search warrant at the residence. Investigators found a small box containing suspected fentanyl, more than $6,000 in cash, a digital scale and a notebook appearing to document drug sales, the detective wrote. Officers also located a safe containing approximately 30 firearms in the garage, the report states.

The detective’s report does not identify how the child may have been exposed to fentanyl or cocaine.

Investigators found bins of children’s clothing near suspected fentanyl, according to the report. A garbage bag outside the children’s room allegedly contained foil with burnt residue. In the master bedroom, officers found needles, a pipe and other drug paraphernalia with burnt residue inside a zippered bag stored in a container on the floor, the report states.

According to the report, Kido has a “significant criminal history” in multiple states, including drug-related offenses.

“Records indicate Kido has had repeated interactions with law enforcement over a period of time involving substance abuse, suspicious circumstances, and missing person investigations,” the detective wrote.

The report describes a “consistent pattern” across 26 documented law enforcement contacts involving Kido disappearing for days or weeks at a time after leaving home for routine errands. Police reports state she would later contact her husband and eventually be located by officers in other areas.

In April 2025, Kido’s husband reportedly told police she was a recovering addict who had checked herself into rehabilitation treatment before again disappearing for several weeks.