Court Hears Disturbing Details In Manslaughter Trial Of Lubbock Dad

The manslaughter trial for 33-year-old Lubbock father, Adam Canales Jr., who is accused of fatally dosing his 2-month-old daughter with allergy medication, began Monday.

What We Know

A panel of five men, seven women, and one alternate juror was chosen to hear the case against Canales, who is charged with manslaughter for the July 11th, 2021, death of his baby girl, Athena.

According to court documents discussed by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Canales gave the baby allergy medication because she was suffering from colic and had been awake all night, crying. The medication was clearly labeled that it was not for children, and the couple admitted to utilizing the medication in the past so that they could have "adult time" to themselves.

Parents Out On Bond

The mother of Athena, 25-year-old Sara Mills, has also been charged with manslaughter. The pair, who were arrested on January 27th, 2022, have been out on bond awaiting trial since April 2022, after a reduction in their bail.

The Argument

Defense attorneys argue that this was simply an accident and that the girl was given too much medication because of a miscommunication between the parents, while the prosecution seems to believe this was an obvious attempt to shut the child up so that they could go about their business uninterrupted, as dealing with a child with colic can be quite frustrating. This, however, is no excuse for drugging a child. Not at all.

My Two Cents

It seems pretty cut and dry that infants don't take the same doses of medication or the same types of medications that adults do. The father initially lied about giving the baby the medication, later admitting to doing it, which raises major red flags.

What do you think? You can reach me at Chrissy.Covington@townsquaremedia.com. For more on this story, click here.