A completed autopsy reveals new details in the as the Department of Human Services continues its investigation.
Ward was found two weeks ago in a Baltimore City hotel where she was supposed to be receiving one-on-one support from a state care giver. A state medical examiner has now ruled her death a suicide, caused by an overdose of diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl.
According to the , a suicide note was found at the scene, and Ward’s medical history includes depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a prior suicide attempt.
“There’s no question she had a history of mental illness,” said Thomas Doyle, an attorney for the family.
In fact, Doyle says it’s the reason Ward was placed in foster care.
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“It wasn’t a situation where it was a bad home. She lived at home with mom and the grandparents, but unfortunately, Kanaiyah’s mental health got to the point where it was not safe for anybody, so they removed her,” he said.
But Doyle says a hotel wasn’t what Ward’s family had in mind.
“Kanaiyah’s Mom had been pushing to get her into a better situation. Whether it was a group home, whether it was a situation where there was inpatient care with psychiatrists, therapists,” he explained, “But, I mean, she’s just 16-year-old and getting no help.”
When asked where Kanaiyah’s one-on-one caregiver was at the time of her death; whether DHS was aware of her history of mental health struggles and what support or monitoring was in place; and why she had been placed in a hotel — DHS declined to comment, citing state privacy laws.
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“Human Services Article 1-202 prohibits disclosing information concerning child abuse or neglect reports, records, or investigations to the public, unless otherwise directed by a court order,” said a DHS spokesperson.
DHS went on to say, “Any child in a hotel is one too many, and unacceptable.”
Following a nearly 300 youth placed in hotels, many under the watch of unlicensed providers, DHS now claims just 18 foster children remain housed in hotels. Progress Ward’s family says still falls woefully short.
“Well, what does that mean? They were supposed to be out of hotels years ago?” questioned Doyle, “I’m not asking you to admit you’re negligent or anything like that, just compassion and perhaps a little bit of, you know, condolence and recognition that things need to be better. I don’t see any of that.”
Baltimore Police closed their investigation into the incident after the medical examiner ruled the death a suicide. A decision Doyle disagrees with.
“What I’ve seen and read is, ‘oh, it’s suicide. We don’t have any culpability or responsibility or anything,’ and to me, all it does is open a whole lot more questions,” said Doyle.