Wilken Adonis, 39, pled guilty to Manslaughter in the Second Degree on Monday, March 17, District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the following day.
According to court documents and an autopsy performed by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office, Adonis and his girlfriend’s 14-month-old son, Joseph, suffered a fatal overdose—the result of unintended exposure to a deadly cocktail of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.
Responding to a 9-1-1 call, Suffolk County Police arrived on the scene at the Holbrook residence on Jan. 3rd of last year to find an unresponsive Joseph. The child was rushed to Stony Brook University Hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.
“The death of Joseph Adonis represents one of the most heartbreaking cases our office has ever handled,” said DA Tierney.
“Because of this defendant’s extreme recklessness here, we were able to charge him with manslaughter. In most cases like these, we cannot charge manslaughter or murder and that’s why we need the New York Legislature to pass Chelsey’s Law.”
The defendant admitted to such recklessness during his guilty plea allocation.
After discovering drug paraphernalia within the bedroom where Joseph was found, Suffolk County Police called in members of the County Narcotics Section.
After the successful execution of a search warrant, the following illegal substances and unsecured safety hazards were recovered: a one-eighth ounce of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl; over one-eighth ounce of cocaine; alprazolam; methadone; drug packaging materials; digital scales; an electronic stun gun; a loaded shotgun; and a rifle.
Given these findings, Adonis also pled guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fourth Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
He faces the maximum sentence: 5 to 15 years in prison.