Harford County (Map, News) - The family of a Darlington nurse convicted of manslaughter said the prosecutors and family of the 16-month-old victim treated them unfairly.

“If my mother [Elaine Butler] didn’t offer to take them in — if Ashton and Kelly froze to death in that trailer — who would have been at fault then?” asked Greg Butler of Middle River.

Elaine Butler, 54, was given a five-year sentence Friday for accidentally giving Ashton Preston a cup of methadone his mother Kelly Briggs had poured Dec. 15, 2004.

Briggs and Ashton had been staying at the Butlers’ house rather than in the unheated trailer Briggs occupied outside Havre de Grace.

Greg Butler said his family was distressed by prosecutor Salvatore Fili’s arguments that Elaine Butler waited to call 911 because she didn’t want to lose her nursing license.

Briggs, as Ashton’s mother, overruled Elaine’s initial instinct to call 911 after finding out Ashton had taken some of the methadone, Greg Butler said.

Butler said his mother had never dispensed methadone or dealt with methadone patients before meeting Briggs, who was taking the narcotic as a treatment for heroin addiction.

Fili and members of the Preston family questioned Elaine Butler’s apparent lack of emotion throughout the trial, but Greg Butler said she had suffered greatly since Ashton’s death, crying out to God and asking forgiveness for the pain she had caused both families.

Harford Circuit Judge Stephen Waldron’s order that she no longer practice nursing hurt her even more, Greg Butler said.

His father, who had undergone multiple heart surgeries, relied on Elaine Butler’s care and was unwilling to accept treatment from anyone else.

“My mother is a completely selfless person. ... Never in her life has she put her interest in front of anybody else’s,” Butler said.

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

5:25 PM MST on Thu., Apr. 3, 2008 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
She is and was guilty of a crime and got less time then she deserved! This was not the 1st time she over dosed another human being. She didnt deserve to keep her nursing license anyway. She got off easy with just 5 yrs. If you saw the home it wasnt fit for a dog to live in, also there was one sippy cup with methodone residue in it and also a baby bottle and another cup in the living room.The mother of this child is just as much at fault and got off easy. She was hording her med.'s and they were not locked in the box like they are suppose to be and who poors methodone into a childs cup and keeps it up in the clean dish cabinet. This was a cover up from the start. I have no pity for the way this lady nor any of them handled this situation because they were wrong no matter how you look at it!!!!

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10:47 AM MST on Thu., Oct. 25, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Sal Fili said:
To whomever left the untrue wisecrack about my trial record, your venality is transparent in the callous and insensitive way you attempt to turn the tragic death of a child into a cynical remark about scorekeeping, while cowardly hiding behind a cloak of anonymity. I invite you, sir, or madam, to unmask yourself and apologize to Ashotn's family and Mrs. Butler's family for your apalling behavior. Two families have suffered a loss here. We do our job and we take no pleasure in the misfortune of others. You on the other hand, apparently cannot seem to restrain yourself from the base impulse of taking cheapshots at the expense of the vulnerable. I'll bet your parents are proud of you.

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3:21 PM MST on Sat., Oct. 6, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
TO 5:38, 10/5/07, Oh by the way I do have children, lots of them and I hope that bothers you, no birth-control for me, just lots of sex and having babies!!

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5:38 AM MST on Sat., Oct. 6, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
I can be a better parent. My children are alive and well. I use a refrigerator for juice, and don't have any drugs around them that could harm them. If they did "accidentally" ingest any substance of harm, I would be on my way to the hospital in the ambulance I called using 911.

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5:23 AM MST on Fri., Oct. 5, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
"A Registered Nurse kills a child and you say NEXT??? I hope you do not have children." Why, oh don't tell me you were going to JUDGE and say that you would be a better parent, get off your high horse!

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12:11 PM MST on Thu., Oct. 4, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
Hey reader from 6:44, and 3 other times: First, you comments are a bit off topic. Second, Ehrlich left a budget surplus behind him, and your pal ZerO'Malley squandered it all, and then some. Also, when Ehrlich came in to office, he was stuck with a deficit left from Parasite Spendeding. Seems that when republicans are in office, they save money, and dems waste it, and beg for more.

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11:48 AM MST on Thu., Oct. 4, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
A Registered Nurse kills a child and you say NEXT??? I hope you do not have children

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6:51 AM MST on Thu., Oct. 4, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
Call a special session every weekend till these republicans understand the inherited Derlick deficit. Inconvenience the unjust house republicans on every Saturday with a special session until they do the math.

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6:44 AM MST on Thu., Oct. 4, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
Call a special session every weekend till these republicans understand the inherited Derlick deficit. Inconvenience the unjust house republicans on every Saturday with a special session until they do the math.

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6:42 AM MST on Thu., Oct. 4, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
Call a special session every weekend till these republicans understand the inherited Derlick deficit. Inconvenience the unjust house republicans on every Saturday with a special session until they do the math.

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6:51 PM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
I care. I really do. Right. Next.

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5:32 PM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Nurse guilty in methadone death trial"

Methadone advocate said:
Read the National Methadone Mortality report. An intelligent analysis of methadone deaths throughout the country. 1% of the deaths come from clinics licensed and monitored by state and federal authorities. 99% of the deaths are related to Dr. prescribing the medication without regulations. Stop the bias and put the blame directly where it should be. ANYONE THAT ABUSES what is given to them to safely use, is responsible for themselves and the persons they effect. The persons responsible here is the persons that are in jail. If it was a cup of bleach they wouldn't have call 911. They protected themselves NOT THE CHILD. STOP BLAMING THE MEDICATION, THE SYSTEM, THE STATE'S ATTORNEY, THE POLICE........There were THREE adults in that house, NO ONE TOOK RESPONSIBILITY.

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5:06 PM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Nurse guilty in methadone death trial"

Examiner Reader said:
More and more people are dying from methadone. Some of it comes from treatment programs and some from doctors. I agree that the government needs to step in and monitor both the take home of methadone from programs and the number of prescriptions being written by doctors. Methadone is just like heroin, just synthetic. We would be more outraged if this baby and others died from Heroin.

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12:47 PM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Nurse guilty in methadone death trial"

reader said:
to the reader who writes, "this could have been prevented if the govt would stop letting addicts take their dose home". You are right in one respect, the person that gave the child the methadone should have been tested for methadone. She was a registered nurse that knew methadone was being stored for what reason? Her and her husband with health problems? Huh, who was really taking the methadone?

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10:50 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Son of convicted nurse: Family treated unfairly"

Examiner Reader said:
Not to sound heartless, but after reading the article with comments from the son, I feel even less (if possible) empathy for the family of the killer. Ok, lets say we buy the idea that this registered nurse had never dealt with methadone and therefore was unsure as to how to approach it (fat chance). Say we buy that...had she also never heard of Poison Control??? And should we feel sorry for her husband who is now without his heathcare provider, Nope, it happens everyday to people who, "won't see anyone else." Its like the "murderer's" family is trying to shift all of the attention from a father who lost his son for good- not 5 years- to make it out like this poor por misunderstood group of people. And no, if they had refused residence it would not have been a comperable situation, as the son stated in his interview. Why was this woman allowed custody of her son anyway?... I hope my doctors' nurses and staff have a little (anything is better than nothing)more sense than this one did

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8:42 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Son of convicted nurse: Family treated unfairly"

An ounce of prevention..... said:
None of these people should have had this child. Methadone is not the monster...Selfish, self-centered actions are. His death was preventable, PREVENTABLE, PREVENTABLE. There is not enough time that will change that. Rest with the Angels Ashton.

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8:35 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
Way to go Sal!!!!!!! I don't blame you for asking for the maximum. Thanks for giving society a break from this idiot forever.....Never again will she be able to "kill" another person and hid behind her "christianity".

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7:41 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

What were these people thinking? said:
I have read all of the comments, and corresponding articles. I can only draw one conclusion- this child's mother was a complete idiot to put METHADONE in her child's SIPPY CUP!?!?!?!?! And, the lady who administered this drink was equally as idiotic, who pulls a child's cup- already full!- from a cabinet and gives it to the child without a thought. So, this killer (a trained professional at that) got 5 years, the mom keeps receiving our tax money, and the young man who wrote a bad check gets 30 years. Way to go Justice System. WOW...so when does the judge in this case get sentenced? Who cares about the "family's history," there is a child dead- life ended, senselessly and irresponsibly, that some people are forgetting. The ONLY one truly punished is that poor baby, where was the justice system then- when they should've provided him with a voice?

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6:46 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
Back to the comment of finding out the details, using common sense to evaluate a subject, then drawing a conclusion. The last comment is so incredibly idiotic that I must defer to the statement, "If you argue with a fool, no one can tell who is the true fool". Enjoy your swamp land.

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4:13 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 2, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
A good many people bought swamp land in Florida during the late 50's and 1960s. They or their heirs are rich people today.

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7:36 PM MST on Mon., Oct. 1, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
Where were all of you during the trial? Maybe you should get a transcript and read the entire thing before you post a comment that makes you look stupid. 90% of the jurers, combining both cases, that heard ALL the facts, found her guilty. Ask yourself why a girl, who by the way had not used heroin in 5 years, who had public assistance, who had a family, who had the family of the father of the child, who had a trailer that was paid for, that lived on public assistance, who stripped for extra cash, lived with this couple. If you all think it was "out of the kindness of their heart", I have some swamp land for sale. Never once did this wonderful husband and son testify on behalf of their wife or mother, hmmmmm strange hey. Now about that swamp land.

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7:27 PM MST on Mon., Oct. 1, 2007 re: "Nurse guilty in methadone death trial"

Examiner Reader said:
How dare anyone call an entire group of people "irresponsible and unreliable". If you truly believe that there are an entire group of people that unreedemable and deserves a life of your bias, how can you can yourself christian?????? People that tell the truth, accept what they have done, and make an attempt to do something to change it, should be given a chance. Maybe someone that lived through this should start telling the truth....NO ONE GIVES A CHILD A CUP FROM A CABINET. This was not an accident....TELL THE TRUTH AND YOU SHALL BE FORGIVEN....

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7:18 PM MST on Mon., Oct. 1, 2007 re: "Son of convicted nurse: Family treated unfairly"

Examiner Reader said:
Ashton had many places to go, family, friends, and SOCIAL SERVICES....Kelly had state funding, and public assistance for heat. The fuse blew frequently in the trailer, and she knew how to fix it. Did anyone see the pictures of the house and how it was "condemnable". I guess Frank and Greg driving Kelly to the strip joint was an act of kindness also. There are things about this family you all obviously don't know.

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9:01 AM MST on Mon., Oct. 1, 2007 re: "Son of convicted nurse: Family treated unfairly"

Examiner Reader said:
Leave Sal alone. The poor guy has more Not Guilty verdicts than Warren Brown.

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8:21 AM MST on Mon., Oct. 1, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
umm how u kill a baby accidentally ? tell me that

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7:18 AM MST on Mon., Oct. 1, 2007 re: "Nurse gets five years for methadone death"

Examiner Reader said:
Please place the blame for this horrid ACCIDENT directly and squarely in the Mom's LAP! How irresponsible it is to place methadone in a child's cup. I believe SHE IS THE NEGLIGENT ONE! She should have drank that methadone immediately.......what the devil was she saving it for.......to sell it?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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3:30 PM MST on Thu., Sep. 27, 2007 re: "Nurse guilty in methadone death trial"

Examiner Reader said:
Yes, you two, the government is always the answer. Jeez. How about accidents happen, negligence happens, and that's that.

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1:44 PM MST on Thu., Sep. 27, 2007 re: "Nurse guilty in methadone death trial"

Examiner Reader said:
I agree with ER. if an addict really wants to kick the habit, they should put fourth the effort to go to a control place to receive their dosage.

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8:40 AM MST on Thu., Sep. 27, 2007 re: "Nurse guilty in methadone death trial"

Examiner Reader said:
When are we going to review the policy of letting heroin addicts take home their dose of methadone? These addicts are unreliable and irresponsible, yet we let them take home a narcotic for days and sometimes weeks without anyone monitoring that they are taking it responsibly. The death of this child and others can be prevented if the govt. were to stop letting addicts take home their methadone.

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