MUSKOGEE, Okla. — The grandmother of a 3-year-old who died of morphine toxicity has been charged with murder.

Kimberly D. Morning, 54, of Muskogee was charged with second-degree murder Friday afternoon, District Attorney Orvil Loge said. 

Morning is accused of unintentionally killing Emmett Rakes — her 3-year-old grandson — after she crushed a morphine tablet into his sippy cup back in August, according to court documents.

“The Morphine toxicology levels in the 3-year-old’s system were three times the limit of an adult,” the probable cause affidavit stated.

Morning is charged with “conduct that created what a reasonable person would realize was an immediate and extremely high degree of risk of death to another person,” Loge said.

On Aug. 21, Muskogee police officers and investigators and a district attorney investigator responded to a call of an unresponsive toddler. At the time of the death, the cause was unknown.

Upon further investigation, Morning “described her lack of patience and increasing frustration with the 3-year-old, subsequently admitting to crushing up the Morphine tablet and intentionally putting it in the sippy cup,” according to the affidavit.

According to the report from the Office of the Oklahoma Medical Examiner, Emmett had headaches and diarrhea before being put down for a nap. Emmett was an otherwise healthy toddler, according to the report.

Morning described Emmett as a “happy, healthy little boy,” told the Muskogee Phoenix in August.

“I knew something was wrong. I didn’t know what,” Morning said. “He complained that his head hurt.”

Morning was taken into custody at about 3 p.m. Friday on an arrest warrant. Complications soon arose. 

“Upon executing the arrest warrant, she claimed she was having a heart attack and so we called an ambulance to have her checked out,” Loge said. “…[O]nce they release her, she’ll be transported to the county jail.”

Once she is booked into Muskogee County/City Detention Facility, she will be held without bond, Loge said.

She will make her initial appearance in court at 3 p.m. Monday in Muskogee County District Court.

Harrison Grimwood writes for the Muskogee (Okla.) Phoenix.