Man charged in daughter's death; accused of drugging her, her friend to commit sexual assault

Houston man charged with murder tied to fentanyl

A Houston man is accused of giving his own daughter a fatal dose of fentanyl and then sexually assaulting her friend.

HOUSTON - One man is charged in the death of his daughter as he's accused of drugging her and her friend to commit sexual assault. 

What we know:

Joshua Youngblood, 45, is charged with Fentanyl murder by delivery and sexual assault in an incident that occurred on Thanksgiving Day in 2023. 

Investigators say Joshua gave 28-year-old Jade Youngblood a fatal dose of fentanyl and sexually assaulted her friend, who was also drugged, as she died. 

"While his daughter was gradually dying from fentanyl, Youngblood proceeded to assault his daughter's friend, who was also under the influence of fentanyl," said Will Kimball, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA Houston. 

What they're saying:

On Tuesday, officials with the Harris County Attorney's Office, the DEA, and Harris County Sheriff's Office held a press conference announcing the charges.

Officials say they worked in collaboration for months to get the information processed and charges filed. 

Jade's mother, Bernice Hawkins, also spoke at the briefing, saying the hole left in her family's life from this death is gaping.

"Josh, you are a vile person, this is a heinous crime. Jade loved you and you took her from us. And for that I hope you pay with your life," she said. 

Harris County District Attorney's Office First Assistant Chandler Raine says this is the eighth fentanyl murder charge the office has filed since an amendment made the prosecution possible in 2023.

"This is exactly why the Texas legislature, in 2023, gave us the amendment to 19.02-B of the Texas penal code to charge them not with delivery that causes death - but with murder," he said. 

What's next:

Youngblood is in custody, being held on a $150,000 bond for the murder charge.