Investigators say toxicology results tied the boy’s death to an excessive amount of diphenhydramine.

HALFMOON, N.Y. — A Saratoga County mother has been charged in the January death of her 10-year-old son after investigators said she gave him a fatal amount of an over-the-counter antihistamine at their Halfmoon home.

Rebecca A. Jordan, 43, faces charges of second-degree manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and endangering the welfare of a child. Sheriff’s officials said the case moved from an unattended-death call to an arrest after a monthslong investigation, toxicology testing and interviews. The death has been ruled a homicide. Prosecutors said the central question now is whether Jordan’s alleged conduct was reckless under New York law.

The case began at 9:40 a.m. Jan. 19, when Saratoga County sheriff’s deputies responded to 430 Route 146 in the town of Halfmoon for an unattended death involving a 10-year-old boy. Authorities later said the home was in the D and R Village Community Mobile Home Park. Sheriff Jeffrey Brown said investigators determined Jordan had given her son a large amount of diphenhydramine the night before because she wanted him to sleep. “There was enough of this medication in this child’s system to kill an adult,” Brown said. “The investigation determined this was not an accident.”

Officials have not released the child’s name in sheriff’s statements, but local reporting citing his obituary described him as a fifth grader who was born in Albany and raised in Halfmoon. The obituary said he loved animals, barbecuing, cooking and building with his father. It also described him as “a very sweet young man” who could be mischievous. Family members thanked the sheriff’s office and Clifton Park and Halfmoon Emergency Corps for their work and care after the child’s death. The obituary asked that donations be made to an animal charity in his memory or to a GoFundMe page, which was later taken down.

The sheriff’s office said the drug caused intoxication, aspiration of gastric contents and probable restriction of normal ventilation. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine found in medications sold under brand names including Benadryl. Authorities said there was no indication the child had asked for medicine to help him sleep. Saratoga County District Attorney Brett Eby said the facts alleged by investigators were unusual for prosecutors and police. “It’s an absolute tragedy. It’s not something that we see regularly,” Eby said. “The toxicology reports and investigation yielded something that is unseen to most prosecutors and law enforcement personnel.”

Investigators arrested Jordan on April 15, nearly three months after deputies first responded to the Route 146 home. The delay reflected the time needed for toxicology results and witness interviews, officials said. Brown said Jordan called family members when her son did not wake up the next morning before someone eventually called 911. Officials have not said which family member made the emergency call, how much time passed before first responders were contacted or whether any medical treatment was attempted at the home. Those details are likely to be part of the continuing court record as the case proceeds.

Jordan also is accused of concealing a bottle of diphenhydramine from investigators to keep it from being used in an official proceeding. The tampering count is separate from the manslaughter charge and focuses on what investigators said happened after the boy’s death. Prosecutors said the manslaughter count carries a possible prison sentence of five to 15 years if Jordan is convicted. The evidence-tampering charge could bring additional penalties. Jordan has not been convicted, and the allegations will have to be proved in court.

Jordan was arraigned before Town Justice Ellwood A. Sloat Jr. in Malta Town Court and sent to the Saratoga County Jail pending further proceedings in Halfmoon Town Court. Court officials said she was due back in court May 5. It was not immediately clear from available court information whether she had entered a plea, whether a lawyer had been assigned or retained, or whether bail could be revisited at a later hearing. The next stage is expected to focus on the felony complaint, any grand jury action and the release of additional records.

At a briefing after the arrest, Brown said child death investigations are among the hardest cases his office handles. “Child death cases are among the most tragic that we handle,” he said. Brown said investigators would continue to speak for a child who could not tell his own story. Eby framed the case as one involving alleged neglect, not a child asking for medicine. He said investigators believe the drug was administered in an effort to deal with perceived behavioral issues.

The accusation has drawn attention because the medicine involved is common and widely available. WNYT reported that a Benadryl package it found at a convenience store included a warning not to give the medicine to children to make them sleepy. Pharmacist John McDonald told the station that medical professionals have moved away from recommending diphenhydramine for many uses because of its sedating effects. He said he had never heard of someone dying from diphenhydramine, while noting that other allergy medicines are often preferred for children.

With Jordan held at the county jail after her arraignment, the case remains pending in Saratoga County. The next public milestones are further proceedings in Halfmoon Town Court and any charging decision beyond the initial felony complaint.

Author note: Last updated May 8, 2026.