Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on March 18 that Wilkens Adonis, age 39, of Holbrook, pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the Second Degree for his role in the fatal overdose of his 14-month-old son Joseph Adonis.

"The death of Joseph Adonis represents one of the most heartbreaking cases our office has ever handled," said District Attorney Tierney. "Because of this defendant's extreme recklessness here, we were able to charge him with manslaughter. In most cases like these, we cannot charge manslaughter or murder and that's why we need the New York Legislature to pass Chelsey's Law."

According to court documents and the defendant's admissions during his guilty plea allocution, on January 3, 2024, Suffolk County Police responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive child at a residence in Holbrook. When they arrived, law enforcement found Adonis and his girlfriend's 14-month-old son unresponsive in the couple's bedroom. The toddler was taken via ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

When Suffolk County Homicide Squad detectives responded to the home to investigate, they found narcotics and drug paraphernalia in the bedroom where the child had been found. As a result, members of the Suffolk County Narcotics Section were called to assist with the investigation.