Pregnant with twins, dead at 21: Why her fentanyl death, others go uncharged

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (InvestigateTV) - Fentanyl deaths are rising across the region, but our investigators found that in most cases, no one is ever charged, creating a growing gap between the headlines and the families left behind.

Crystal Bethune read aloud one of the last text messages her daughter sent days before her sudden death in January: “I’m so excited. Getting more and more nervous. They kick so much.”

Her 21-year-old daughter, Jaelin Punshon, was 26 weeks pregnant with twins. The would-be first-time mother was expecting a boy and girl.

“She was excited about becoming a mother,” investigator Zac Summers asked.

“Absolutely. She was,” Crystal replied.

In the early morning hours of January 10, 2025, Jaelin’s boyfriend found her unresponsive in their Independence home. He told police he went to a nearby store and was gone for about 45 minutes. When he returned, he said he found Jaelin hunched over in a gaming chair and called 911.

“I don’t understand how they believed everything he said,” Crystal said.

Investigation raises questions

Crystal said what’s in the police report only deepened her doubts. According to the report, the boyfriend gave officers a fake name, was caught on body camera taking something from the scene and later hid a jacket he had been wearing. The same report noted he had a felony warrant and was flagged for selling drugs.

Despite initial signs of foul play, including marks on Jaelin’s neck and burst blood vessels, which the medical examiner on scene noted as “odd,” Jaelin’s death was ruled an accidental fentanyl overdose.

“I still, in my own heart, don’t feel that Jaelin did this to herself,” Crystal said. “I feel like they got the autopsy report and there was fentanyl in her system, and it was the easiest way to close the case.”

The Independence Police Department told our investigators it thoroughly investigated Jaelin’s case, but after reviewing all available evidence, detectives determined there wasn’t sufficient probable cause to submit the case for potential charges.

Few cases reach prosecutors

Jaelin’s case isn’t unique. Our investigators filed public records requests in the metro’s two largest counties to analyze how many fentanyl-related deaths ever make it to prosecutors.

In Jackson County, Missouri, at least 628 people have died since 2022. Police sent just 17 cases to prosecutors. Charges were filed in nine of the cases. That means prosecutors filed charges in more than half the cases they received, but less than 1.5% of all fentanyl deaths ever reached a courtroom.

Across the state line in Johnson County, Kansas, there were 144 deaths. Only 14 cases were sent to prosecutors, with charges filed in 11 cases. While prosecutors filed charges in nearly 79% of cases they received, only 7.6% of all fentanyl deaths resulted in charges.

“Is that a problem? Is that alarming?” Summers asked Tony Mattivi, director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).

“I’m a little surprised to hear it’s that low, but I can tell you it’s understandable,” Mattivi said.

He said the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

“There is nobody I know inside the law enforcement community who’s not taking this problem seriously,” he added.

Investigation challenges

Mattivi said many departments lack the necessary resources to investigate fentanyl overdoses, and oftentimes, they’re ruled accidents.

“If you have a medical examiner rule that the death was accidental, that’s a really difficult hurdle to get over after the fact,” Mattivi said.

Mattivi said the facts are different for every case, but with fentanyl poisonings, the deceased’s phone is crucial to the investigation.

“We have a constant battle when it comes to technology. The bad guy is always a step ahead of us,” Mattivi said.

Proving intent in these cases is also a high bar to clear, said Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

“The harsh reality is we cannot prosecute what we don’t receive, and then once we do receive a case file, we have to prove every single element of the applicable charge beyond a reasonable doubt,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the other challenge is that many dealers don’t actually know what they’re dealing.

“They think they’re selling Percocet or other pills, but they’re all cut with fentanyl,” Johnson said.

New law offers hope

While the burden remains high, Johnson said she’s optimistic about a new Missouri law that took effect last year. It makes delivery of a controlled substance resulting in death a Class A felony.

“With this new law, I do feel confident that moving forward we will be able to see more families get a measure of justice,” Johnson said.

In October, Johnson filed charges in at least two fentanyl-related deaths using the new law. Kansas has a similar statute, and some families have found accountability of their own.

Success story in Kansas

Andy and Rhonda Burris of Lansing found justice for their son. In 2023, 15-year-old Cruz Burris thought he was buying a Percocet on Snapchat. Instead, the pill was laced with fentanyl and killed him.

“Every opportunity we had, we kept asking, hey, it’s been a couple months, tell us where you are on the case,” Rhonda Burris said.

“We were at a stalemate with our local law enforcement,” Andy Burris added. “They did not have the mechanism, the equipment, or skills to open the phone.”

Through their advocacy work with Cruz4Life, named in honor of their son, the Burris family caught the attention of local and state leaders. The Secret Service ultimately cracked Cruz’s phone, leading investigators to Torin Baughman.

“We were lucky in the fact that we also had so much evidence,” Rhonda Burris said.

Baughman was convicted and, in January 2025, he was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison.

“Be persistent to talk to your community leaders, politicians, anyone who could help move the ball forward,” Andy Burris said.

Waiting for justice

Ten months after her daughter’s death, a baby’s highchair and diapers still sit in Crystal’s dining room.

“I’m not sure if I’ll ever put it away,” she said.

The items, which Jaelin dropped off hours before her death, are a reminder of what could have been.

“Fall was our favorite season, and she should be here with us and her children, my grandchildren,” Crystal said, fighting tears.

As time passes and the seasons change, Crystal watches news stories of other families who got justice, hoping one day her daughter will too, all while a fentanyl crisis shows no signs of slowing down.

“Do more to charge the people [who] are selling the stuff, and killing people,” she said.

Growing crisis

The fentanyl crisis continues to claim lives nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl poisonings are the leading cause of death for Americans under 45.

Locally, the Jackson County Drug Task Force has seized more than 1,400 grams of fentanyl through October of this year. That amount equals about 714,000 potentially lethal doses.

In November 2023, the KBI and state partners formed the Joint Fentanyl Impact Team. Since then, the Kansas Legislature has approved millions in funding, allowing the agency to boost staffing, to support its fight against fentanyl.