Oak Harbor woman may face manslaughter charge

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 10, 2026

Prosecutors are seeking to amend charges against an Oak Harbor woman to include manslaughter in the first degree in the death of her 2-year-old boy on May 24.

Under the proposed charge, Jessica Kido is accused of recklessly causing the child’s death. The coroner determined the immediate cause of death was acute fentanyl intoxication, according to the prosecution’s motion.

Police originally arrested 34-year-old Kido on suspicion of manslaughter, reckless endangerment and possession of fentanyl. A judge found probable cause to support the charges and set Kido’s bail at $300,000.

Preliminary results from an autopsy showed that the child may have been exposed to fentanyl and cocaine, according to court documents. Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Laura Twitchell, however, waited on the full results of the autopsy and toxicology tests to make a formal charging decision related to the death of the child.

Instead, prosecutors charged Kido in early June with one count of possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and 10 counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree.

Now, the prosecution’s motion to amend the charges states that the autopsy and toxicology tests are complete. In addition to acute fentanyl intoxication, the coroner found mild to moderate hepatic steatosis and listed the onset of death as “minutes.”

The manner of death was classified as undetermined.

According to a report by Oak Harbor Police Detective Shantel Ricci, Kido called 911 shortly before 9 p.m. to report the child was in distress. Paramedics transported the child to WhidbeyHealth Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Kido told police she had put the child down for a nap several hours earlier and discovered blood on him when she checked on him later, the report states. She also reportedly told officers the child had behavioral issues that caused him to hit his head during tantrums.

Court documents state that Kido was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm because she was convicted of “obtaining property by false pretense,” a felony charge in North Carolina.

A 4-year-old child who was also in the apartment was unharmed and later taken into protective custody by the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Kido told police her husband was deployed with the Navy and that she had been alone with the children that day.

Detectives arrested Kido at her home May 27. According to the report, she admitted to smoking fentanyl each morning in her SUV.

Police later served a search warrant at the residence. Investigators found a small box containing suspected fentanyl, more than $6,000 in cash, a digital scale and a notebook appearing to document drug sales, the detective wrote. Officers also located a safe containing approximately 30 firearms in the garage, the report states.

The detective’s report does not identify how the child may have been exposed to fentanyl or cocaine.

“Records indicate Kido has had repeated interactions with law enforcement over a period of time involving substance abuse, suspicious circumstances and missing person investigations,” the detective wrote.

The report describes a “consistent pattern” across 26 documented law enforcement contacts involving Kido disappearing for days or weeks at a time after leaving home for routine errands. Police reports state she would later contact her husband and eventually be located by officers in other areas.

In April 2025, Kido’s husband reportedly told police she was a recovering addict who had checked herself into rehabilitation treatment before again disappearing for several weeks.

A hearing for the motion to amend the charges is scheduled for July 13.