ST. LOUIS – After pleading guilty exactly one month ago, a St. Louis man appeared in court Thursday to be sentenced for the death of his one-year-old son.

According to court documents, the child’s mother returned home from work on March 2, 2023, and called a hospital when she found her child, Syn’cere Smith, unresponsive.

Syn’cere Smith was later pronounced at the hospital. A medical evaluation determined the child had ingested fentanyl, which caused him to die.

Investigators said the child was left alone with his father, Demetrius L. Smith.

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Authorities interviewed Demetrius, who admitted to taking fentanyl in the vicinity of his child on March 1, 2023.

Police located Demetrius in November 2023 and found him in positi

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