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Jacksonville Father Sentenced to 20 Years After Toddler's Fatal Overdose
Karl Brunswick, 50, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter after falling asleep with his 20-month-old child following drug use; the toddler died of an overdose in 2024. A judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison under the plea agreement.
A Jacksonville father has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter of a child in connection with his toddler's fatal overdose in 2024.
Karl Brunswick, 50, entered the plea before Circuit Judge Jonathan Sacks, who imposed the sentence on Nov. 10 in accordance with the agreement, according to the State Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors said Brunswick had been using drugs and fell asleep with his 20-month-old child. The child later died of an overdose.
The case underscores the heightened dangers that illicit drug use poses to young children, who can be exposed to lethal substances through close contact with adults using drugs. Opioid overdoses among toddlers and infants have drawn increasing attention from public health officials and child welfare advocates in recent years.
Aggravated manslaughter of a child is a first-degree felony in Florida, carrying a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison. The 20-year term reflects the terms negotiated in the plea agreement.
Brunswick will serve his sentence in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections.