BALTIMORE — A grandfather pleads guilty to charges over his 13-month-old grandchild's tragic death.
Messiah Heggie died October 27, 2023 from fentanyl intoxication.
Baltimore Police determined the child likely ingested heroin residue left by his granddad, Steven Heggie, Sr.
It all started around 4:30am, when Messiah's dad dropped him off at Heggie's apartment on W. Coldspring Lane.
When Messiah's father returned from work later in the day, he was found unresponsive in Heggie's bedroom.
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Charging documents said Heggie admitted to snorting heroin before Messiah came over so he could "function with the baby," and again before pick-up.
In between, Heggie and Messiah took a nap at which time the child appeared to be acting normally.
Upon waking up to hand Messiah over to his dad, Heggie noticed the boy unconscious.
During an interview with detectives, Heggie remembered having heroin in his pocket as the two fell asleep.
When asked if Messiah could've gotten hold of the drugs, Heggie said he may have ingested residue from empty gel caps discarded in the bed or side table.
As result, Heggie pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on June 9, 2025. He's scheduled to be sentenced on August 19.
Online court records do show Heggie with multiple past drug convictions.
