Parents charged after 1-year-old taken to Mercy Carthage after ingesting marijuana

A couple is being held on $50,000 bond after their one-year-old boy was taken to the emergency room at Mercy Carthage after ingesting two grams of a marijuana cigar.

Chaseton Wayne Mayhall (DOB 2000) and Chloe Belle Brown (DOB 2003) pleaded not guilty during video arraignments today in Jasper County Circuit Court. A bond review hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. April 1 before Judge John Nicholas.

From Brown's probable cause statement:

On 3/21/2026 officers with the Carthage Police Department responded to Mercy Carthage in reference to possible child abuse of a 1-year-old male. The initial report was that while Victim 1 was under the care of his mother, Chloe Belle Brown and the father, Chaseton Mayhall, at Super 8 in Carthage, Victim 1 ingested two grams of a marijuana cigar. The time Victim 1 was brought into the hospital was 1926 hours.

I observed Victim 1 at the hospital. It appeared Victim 1 was pale, lethargic and in and out of consciousness, When Victim 1 would start to wake up, he would start screaming and act similar to having a seizure.

An interview with Brown was conducted after being read her Miranda rights. During the interview she admitted to smoking a "pre-roll" earlier in the morning. Brown stated that she arrived at Super 8 around 1500 hours on 3/21/2026. Shortly after getting inside the room, she noticed her pre-roll was missing. Brown then noticed that Victim 1 had some of the pre-roll in his hands and mouth.

Brown provided Victim 1 with Pedialyte and waited.

Brown noticed 10 minutes later that Victim 1 was "high" and "swaying back and forth," and said, "I got to go right now," as well as "I knew right away that I needed to take him to the hospital."

Brown said that rather than taking Victim 1 to the hospital, she sent Mayhall to Walmart to obtain the Pedialyte to help. 

During the interview, Brown stated, "I did do wrong," and "I f---ked up."

After speaking with Brown and the family members, they all said that Victim 1 has regressed in his physical ability to walk and speak as a result of this incident.

Video footage also confirms Mayhall and Brown arriving at the Supreme Court 8 at 1446 and leaving at 1923. Walmart receipts show Mayhall purchasing a remote at 1513 and then purchasing Pedialyte, Children's Tylenol and Pedia Lax at 1628.

Victim 1 was treated at Mercy Carthage before being transported to Mercy Springfield for a higher level of care due to his health not improving. Victim 1 was later discharged from the hospital three days later on 3/24/2026.

From Mayhall's probable cause statement:

During the interview, Mayhall stated that both he and Brown smoked the "pre-roll" outside the hotel after checking in at 1500 hours. Shortly after this they went inside and unpacked. Mayhall estimated noticing that his pre-roll was missing around 1530 and that is when he noticed residue on Victim 1's face and hands.

Mayhall noticed that Victim 1 was "high" and would "look off into space."

Mayhall described Victim 1 as acting like "the first time someone getting stoned" and "something wasn't right; this wasn't normal."

I asked Mayhall why they didn't take V1 to the hospital and he said, "they were going to sober him up" and "we knew how to sober up adults."

I asked Mayhall if he was scared and he said, "it was everything" and "he got into the weed. We are going to lose him. We are going to jail."

Mayhall said that he knew that he should have taken him to the hospital instantly. 

Mayhall made the comment, "We almost put our kid in the ground."