2nd parent imprisoned for toddler's overdose death on drugs left out in Little Canada home

A second parent is now in prison for the death of a 14-month-old boy who overdosed after ingesting illicit drugs the couple left out in the family's Little Canada apartment.

Joseph T.E. Compton, 29, was sentenced Monday in Ramsey County District Court to a term of just shy of five years after pleading guilty to second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death on Sept. 4 of Ryder Compton at the home in the 200 block of E. County Road B2.

With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Compton is expected to serve the first 3⅓ years in prison and the balance on supervised release.

Ryder's mother, Andrea N. Intveld, 32, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and received a sentence of nearly 3½ years. She's scheduled to be released from prison in February ahead of serving the balance of her term on supervision.

An autopsy by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Ryder died from overdosing on heroin and fentanyl, criminal complaints against the parents said.

According to the charges:

Compton told officers that he and Intveld used heroin, likely laced with fentanyl, four days earlier, when Ryder died. He said he brought the drug to the apartment, prepared hypodermic shots for himself and Intveld but left some of the drug where his son could reach it.

He said he ran to the bathroom screaming for Intveld, and they both administered to their son as much Narcan antidote as they could. Intveld told police she used narcotics five days beforehand.

A police search of the home turned up an uncapped syringe with a red liquid inside on the kitchen floor. A used syringe was "in plain view" on the living room television stand, "within easy reach of a toddler," the charges read. Still more syringes were on the floor behind the couch.

In Intveld's bedroom, deputies recovered marijuana paraphernalia, THC gummies and a jar of marijuana. A small box on her dresser held several crystallized balls of "suspected controlled substance," the charges said.

Both parents had dozens of contacts each with the Sheriff's Office, including in July 2022 when law enforcement was told that Ryder picked up heroin-laced cotton balls. County child protection officials were unable to confirm that the boy came into contact with heroin.

Compton's criminal history in Minnesota includes seven convictions for theft, three for possessing drug paraphernalia, two for drug possession and one each for assault, receiving stolen property, drunken driving and domestic abuse.