Mom Accused of Pumping Lethal Alcohol Dose Into 4-Year-Old’s Feeding Tube, Killing Him

Samantha S. Smith, a Wisconsin mother, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for feeding alcohol to her four-year-old daughter, which led to her death. The incident took place in Hayward, Wisconsin, in July 2021, when Zoey Chafer, a child with special needs, died due to lethal alcohol levels in her blood.

Chafer was born with cerebral palsy. She could not speak or move on her own and depended on a feeding tube for nutrition and hydration. According to court documents, first responders were called to a home in Hayward on July 28, 2021, after Chafer did not wake up.

The child was pronounced dead at the scene, but instead of an autopsy, the Sawyer County Coroner's Office ordered a blood sample analysis. The test reports showed Chafer had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.572g/100mL, which is considered lethal. For those unaware, a BAC of 0.25 to 0.399 results in alcohol poisoning. If the level exceeds 0.40, it can cause coma and death.

At the time of her death, Chafer lived with her mother, Smith, 30, and the latter’s boyfriend, Domenic Falkner, 29. Falkner was approved as a caregiver for the child through Sawyer County Human Services and was paid to care for her under Certification for Long Term Care.

Once the blood sample showed lethal BAC levels, Chafer’s body was sent for autopsy. The medical examiner found that she died of acute ethanol toxicity, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.

“The presence of ethanol in a non-ambulatory child is consistent with intentional administration by another. The level of ethanol found in her pre-embalmed body would be a lethal level in non-chronic users and be lethal in a child this age,” read the medical report.

The examiner also observed abrasions and contusions on the body, indicating she could have suffered physical abuse. According to court documents, Chafer began suffering from bruises and fractures after Falkner moved in with Smith in August 2020.

After Chafer’s death, Smith and Falkner were interrogated by authorities. Even though they did not confess to feeding alcohol to the toddler, they admitted that they were the only ones responsible for operating her feeding tubes.

They also acknowledged that they were the only ones present at home at the time of Chafer’s death. Both were charged with first-degree intentional homicide, chronic child neglect, and repeated physical abuse of a child resulting in great bodily harm.

In November 2025, Smith pleaded guilty to chronic child neglect and pleaded no contest to physical abuse of a child. The homicide charge was dismissed, but read in as part of her plea deal with the prosecutors.

On March 6, Sawyer County Circuit Judge Anthony J. Stella Jr. sentenced her to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Meanwhile, Falkner pleaded no contest to charges of child neglect and physical abuse in September 2025. He will be sentenced on May 1, 2026.