TOOELE — Prosecutors said there were "no winners" after a Tooele woman whose 2-year-old son died after drinking methadone was sentenced to prison Tuesday.
Jill Goff, 33, was ordered to serve one to 15 years in prison for child abuse homicide, a second-degree felony, in connection with the Jan. 31 death of her son, Aiden Laurel Goff. Third District Court Judge Robert Adkins also recommended that Goff undergo substance abuse counseling while in prison.
"We have a child who is deceased. We have four children who don't have their mother anymore, (and) we now have a mother of four children who is going to prison for a substantial amount of time," said Gary Searle, chief deputy Tooele County attorney. "There are no winners here. Absolutely not."
Goff was arrested Feb. 1, the day after paramedics were called to her home, 485 Oak St., and found Aiden not breathing. He died at the scene.
Several hours later, police were called to Mountain West Medical Center where Goff's 8-year-old son was having health issues. The boy "started breaking out in a rash, and his eyes were swollen," according to a Tooele County Jail booking report.
Tests conducted at the hospital showed that the 8-year-old tested positive for methadone in his system, police said. The boy's 5-year-old sister also was tested as a precaution, and she, too, was found to have methadone in her body.
The siblings told investigators that their mother "fixed a pink drink for the 2-year-old. He didn't like the drink so she had the 5-year-old taste it. She said it was gross. Mrs. Goff had the 8-year-old taste it, and he said it tasted like medicine," the report states.
Searle said he believes Goff's inaction toward her children, unwillingness to volunteer information at the hospital and information that Goff sold her drugs for money, was disturbing for the judge.
"I think the judge was completely troubled that she took not only inaction toward (Aiden), but that she took no action toward the other children until, again, the hospital came to them with an actual toxicology report stating there's methadone in the children's urine, and then it was told what happened," Searle said.
The prosecutor recommended that the woman serve another year in jail and time on probation, noting that most agree Goff did not intentionally administer the substance.
"I'm completely fine with what the judge did," Searle said. "This case is one that could have gone either way."
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