A North Carolina mom is facing murder charges for the death of her young son. Ebone Tintourri Johnson was recently charged after exposing her son to an incredibly potent and dangerous drug, which led to his death. Details are still emerging about the incident and there’s no information about how Johnson procured the drug, which is not made for human consumption. It is also still unknown how the child accessed the drug. Police have not revealed if Johnson was immediately a suspect after the child’s death or if she became one after the investigation started. There’s also no word yet what kind of time she might serve.
Gaston County police arrested Johnson, 38, on December 10, 2025, WBTV reported. She has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of her son. An arrest warrant noted that the boy died after exposure to carfentanil “in an inherently dangerous manner.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, carfentanil is a “synthetic opioid approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl.” It also stated that the drug is often used as a tranquilizer for elephants or other large mammals.
The Gaston Gazette reported that Johnson’s son was 1-year-old Nasir Harris. The boy was born on July 30, 2024, according to an obituary cited by the newspaper. He allegedly died on his birthday, per the obituary.
Johnson came under investigation when another child called 911 around 3:30 a.m. on July 30, 2025, per the outlet. The child reported that their brother was not breathing, according to search warrant documents filed by Detective JJ Kaiser of the Gaston County Police Department.
When police arrived at the home, Nasir was unresponsive. Kaiser noted that the boy’s lips were turning blue. An officer began administering CPR when the boy’s mother failed to do so. A firefighter took over before the boy was taken to the hospital, where he died.
It is unclear how Nasir was exposed to the drug. Johnson is currently being held in jail without bond.
