Parents Charged With Murder After Baby Dies From Meth in Breast Milk
A Westmoreland County couple has been charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter following the death of their 15-month-old son, Thomas Blasser, in February.
Pennsylvania State Police were called to a home on Crestview Drive in Mount Pleasant Township on February 12 after receiving a report of an unresponsive child. Troopers arrived to find Thomas not breathing. CPR was performed, but the toddler was later pronounced dead.
Home Described as Uninhabitable
Investigators found the home in what police described as deplorable conditions. There was no edible food, no running water, and temperatures inside had dropped below freezing. The only heat source was a kerosene heater that was emitting fumes. Fecal matter and garbage were present throughout the residence.
Trooper Steve Limani said the scene was deeply disturbing. "Unsightly. Disturbing to think that there were children and adults trying to live there," he said.
Both Parents Tested Positive for Methamphetamine
Blood tests conducted on the day of Thomas's death showed both parents — Michael Blasser and Ashley Makarsky — tested positive for methamphetamine. Police say the couple's second young child, who was also living in the home, also tested positive for drugs and was immediately placed in emergency custody by Children and Youth Services.
Autopsy Links Death to Breast Milk
A subsequent autopsy determined that Thomas died after ingesting methamphetamine through his mother's breast milk. The finding was central to the murder charge filed against Makarsky.
Trooper Limani described the circumstances as horrific. "Could you imagine being an infant and literally your only form of surviving is to have breast milk, but the breast milk has meth in it," he said, calling the parents' actions reckless, neglectful, and directly harmful to a child who depended entirely on them.
Charges and Court Dates
Following a months-long investigation, both Blasser and Makarsky have been charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and endangering the welfare of a child. Both are currently held at Westmoreland County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday.
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