Ronan couple charged with exposing children to drugs

A Ronan couple is accused of exposing their children to drugs. Trevor John Blackweasel and Ashley Michelle Upham, both 27, are each charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of children.

Blackweasel entered a plea of not guilty Aug. 1 to the charges in District Court at Polson, while Upham entered into a plea agreement July 31 that will dismiss one of the charges at sentencing.

According to court records, on Sept. 20, 2023, emergency crews and law enforcement responded to a report of an unresponsive infant. At the scene, Upham handed the infant over to a law enforcement officer. The officer immediately began to administer life-saving procedures, however the infant was already cold to the touch and was stiffening and the child’s skin was turning bluish-purple.

According to the report, “the entire house was littered with drug paraphernalia, commingled with children’s items.” A dose of Narcan was also located in the home.

Blackweasel was located in a closet of the home, allegedly hiding under a blanket with two older children, ages 3 and 5.

An autopsy performed on the infant showed the cause of death as undetermined, but methamphetamine was in the infant’s system. Hair samples taken of the older children indicated the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Blackweasel and Upham were arrested July 8 after an armed stand-off with law enforcement on BlueBird Lane. They, and others known by law enforcement as drug users, were located hiding a garage.

Judge Molly Owen presided over Upham’s case and set sentencing for Sept. 18. Judge John A. Mercer set Blackweasel’s case for trial Nov. 25. Both remain in the Lake County Jail. Blackweasel’s bail totals $75,000. Upham’s is set at $100,000.