A West Valley woman whose son gave a party at which a 14-year-old boy died of diabetic shock will not face criminal charges.
Prosecutors had considered charging the woman with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, alleging she allowed a group of teens ranging from ages 13 to 15 to use alcohol, marijuana and LSD at her home.Their position changed after a juvenile-court trial last month in which two teens - the woman's 14-year-old son and a 15-year-old boy - were acquitted of negligent homicide.
The woman testified she was unaware a party was going on in her basement or that 14-year-old Jens Martin Dietz had become seriously ill in her home. Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Paul Parker said he can't prove otherwise.
During the closed trial, Judge Robert Yeates acquitted the two teens of negligent homicide but found them guilty of failure to report a body and ordered them to serve five days detention and complete 150 hours of community service.
Dietz, who had run away from home, ran out of insulin during the party, became sick and fell unconscious.
The 15-year-old defendant - who knew Dietz was diabetic - mistakenly thought Dietz needed sugar. The partygoers then gave him Kool-Aid and cookie dough. The sweets failed to revive the youth and the teens moved him outside to a garage, where he died March 10 in the back seat of a car.