Court closes murder case against Sedgwick County dad charged in toddler’s fentanyl poisoning

A first-degree murder, child endangerment and drug possession case filed last year against a Sedgwick County father whose 1-year-old son died from fentanyl poisoning has been dismissed after the father was found dead at a Haysville motel last month from what his lawyer said is a possible drug overdose.

Jordan Wayne Lien, 30, died on March 9, just two weeks after he pleaded not guilty to charges in the July 3, 2022, death of his 13-month-old son, Lucca Lien, who became unresponsive while on an overnight visit with his father at a south Wichita motel. The toddler was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

In response to questions Tuesday, Haysville Police Chief Jeff Whitfield said by email that Jordan Lien’s official cause and manner of death are pending a determination from the coroner’s office. But he said there “were no indications of anything suspicious” at the scene, 301 E. 71st St. South, which is the address for the Haysville Express Inn.

The case “is still under investigation,” limiting his ability to say more, Whitfield said.

Sedgwick County Chief Public Defender Sonya Strickland, who had been representing Lien in court, said Tuesday she thinks his death “is being investigated as an overdose.”

Losing two family members within months has been “devastating” for Lien’s relatives, she said.

“This was a sad and tragic case for everyone involved. It was devastating for the Lien family to lose Lucca. On the heels of that, the family now has to process the death of Jordan,” she said by email.

“Although there are many layers to this case that I am not at liberty to discuss, both ethically and out of respect for the Lien family, I would encourage people to educate themselves on addiction, it’s consequences, and community resources that are available – both to the addict and to their family members.

“The Sedgwick County Public Defender office is always available to refer people to resources or simply offer our time to educate the community on this topic.”

Jordan Lien’s autopsy report is expected to be completed and released sometime later this year. Court records show he struggled with illicit drug use even after the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office charged him last fall with first-degree felony murder in Lucca’s death, two counts of aggravated endangering a child, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

In January, a little more than a month after bailing out of the Sedgwick County Jail, his bond was revoked for multiple violations, court records show. Among them: submitting a urine test on Dec. 16 that was positive for methamphetamine or amphetamine; tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive substance in marijuana; and cocaine and submitting a second sample on Jan. 5 that was “too diluted” to use. He took the second drug test after visiting a local detox shop, court records say.

Sometime after he entered a not-guilty plea on Feb. 23, Lien posted bond again. He was out of jail at the time of his death.

The court dismissed Lien’s charges and closed the case on March 22.

Police have said previously that Lien’s son, Lucca, died after he became unconscious and unresponsive at the Heritage Inn motel, near 47th South and Broadway. Toxicology screening conducted as part of the toddler’s autopsy “showed very high levels of fentanyl in the (boy’s) heart blood and brain tissue” that were “well into commonly accepted fatal range,” although it was unclear exactly how the boy was exposed to the drug and whether it was accidental or intentional, his autopsy report says.

The boy also had a skull fracture, bruising and a cut on his head but the coroner couldn’t determine whether those contributed to his death, according to the report.

A probable cause affidavit released Tuesday by a Sedgwick County judge says Lucca’s mother told police that when she dropped Lucca off for a visit with Lien around 7:30 a.m. on July 1, 2022, the boy had an eye infection but no other injuries or medical issues. Video surveillance footage that captured Lien walking into a restaurant around 6:15 p.m. on July 2 shows Lucca “sitting upright and alert.” Surveillance video from later that night showed Lien and his son entering Room 206 of the motel at around 10:45 p.m. No one entered or left again until Lien carried Lucca’s lifeless body out at 9:58 a.m. on July 3, the affidavit says.

A doctor pronounced Lucca dead at 10:57 a.m.

Law enforcement investigating the toddler’s death found a message on Lien’s cellphone where he told someone on July 1 “I got both my kids now” and asked them to “get me a few 30’s,” a common name for street-sold pills that often contain fentanyl, according to the affidavit. They also discovered Lien’s fingerprints on drug paraphernalia in the motel room, a small measuring spoon and plastic cup with residue that tested positive for cocaine and a plastic baggie that tested positive for meth, the affidavit says.

A sample of Lien’s blood also tested positive for a drug — fentanyl — on July 3, the document says.