Parents Arrested Months After Infant’s Death in Chatham County Drug Exposure Investigation

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. — Two parents have been arrested in connection with the death of their 9-month-old child after investigators determined the infant died from the toxic effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to the Chatham County Police Department.

Authorities said detectives with the department’s Criminal Investigations Division arrested 36-year-old Heather Toinnette Laborde and 41-year-old Paul Michael Rapkin on Thursday, May 6, 2026.

Both Laborde and Rapkin were charged with second-degree murder and second-degree child cruelty and transported to the Chatham County Detention Center.

The investigation began on Nov. 25, 2025, when officers responded at approximately 11 a.m. to a residence in the 400 block of Butler Avenue following reports of a 9-month-old baby who was not breathing.

Police said the infant was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

According to investigators, the subsequent investigation revealed the child’s death was caused by exposure to fentanyl and methamphetamine. Authorities said those findings led to the charges filed against the infant’s parents.

The police department said the case remains active and ongoing and is now being handled through the court system and the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office.