A Connecticut man is facing charges of sexually assaulting his 12-year-old stepdaughter, who was later discovered deceased at her residence with a fatal concentration of diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, in her bloodstream, according to law enforcement.
Anthony Federline, 39, was charged in April with first-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor in connection with the death of Eve Rogers, as reported by the Enfield Police Department.
Expanding Inquiry into Child's Death
As part of the ongoing investigation into the girl's death, authorities are now seeking to access Federline's Facebook and Snapchat profiles, the family's CVS Caremark records, and two Amazon accounts, court documents indicate.
Rogers was found unresponsive at her home on March 18. According to court filings, her mother discovered her on her bedroom floor, partially unclothed, with a blanket covering her lower body. The documents also noted the presence of blood and other fluids emanating from her nose.
Before her autopsy, a sexual assault examination kit was administered to the girl. An arrest warrant specified that Federline was identified as one of the "contributors from a DNA swab." As of now, no charges have been filed directly related to the girl’s death.
Discovery and Forensic Findings
The medical examiner informed police that toxicology tests revealed a lethal concentration of diphenhydramine in the girl's system. Additionally, fluoxetine, commonly known as Prozac, was detected, despite not being prescribed to her, according to search warrants.
The report detailed a diphenhydramine level of 23,000 ng/ml in Rogers’ blood. For comparison, lethal concentrations are generally cited as 4,390 ng/ml for children and 14,720 ng/ml for adults. The medical examiner estimated that Rogers would have needed to consume approximately 1.8 liters of liquid diphenhydramine to reach the level found in her blood.
Investigators have stated that the method by which she ingested such a substantial dosage remains unclear.
Conflicting Accounts Emerge
Rogers’ mother informed detectives that she had used her Amazon account to purchase medication, Sleep Aid capsules, and a "sexual pleasure device" for her 12-year-old daughter. However, investigators noted that no dyes, which are typically found in Sleep Aid capsules, were detected in the girl’s system, despite the elevated diphenhydramine levels. The mother also mentioned discovering inappropriate online conversations between her daughter and unknown individuals, but police searches did not corroborate these findings.
Federline told detectives that he used social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat to communicate with his stepdaughter but asserted that these conversations were not sexual in nature.
New search warrants reveal that investigators are examining Federline’s online activity for the months preceding the girl's passing.
Federline has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges of sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor. He is scheduled to appear in court later this month.
