Affidavit says women canceled doctor’s appointment for Las Vegas girl before her drug-related death

Two women accused of giving a 9-year-old girl a fatal dose of prescription painkillers canceled a medical appointment for the child out of fears a doctor would know she had overdosed, according to a police affidavit.

The girl, Ryleigh Island, was found dead in her central valley home early the next morning. Her death — from hydrocodone and oxycodone intoxication, pneumonia and sepsis — was ruled a homicide.

Ryleigh’s mother, Kendra Hatch, 40, and aunt, Mylynda Hatch, 36, each face a murder charge in connection with the death.

Las Vegas police responded about 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 10 to 2508 Duck Arrow Circle, near Vegas Drive. The girl had been dead for a while, the affidavit said.

According to the affidavit, Ryleigh had an appointment with a pediatrician on Aug. 9, but the Hatches left the office with her before she was examined.

The women began to worry earlier that day that the child had overdosed, according to the affidavit, but they hoped Ryleigh would “sleep it off.” A forensic pediatrician later determined that a doctor would have recognized the girl’s symptoms and would have been able to prevent her death.

Both women initially denied giving Ryleigh any drugs that had not been prescribed for her.

But Mylynda Hatch, described in the affidavit as a former paramedic, later told police that she began giving the girl painkillers because she had broken her arm.

A cast had been placed on Ryleigh’s arm on Aug. 5, the affidavit said. The girl was given three doses of adult pain medication that day and was given more over the next four days.

Kendra Hatch told police that it was her sister’s idea to give the girl the stronger pain medication because the Tylenol and Advil that Ryleigh was prescribed did not seem to be helping. Kendra Hatch trusted her sister completely because of her paramedic training, the affadavit said.

During a police interview, Mylynda Hatch talked about asking a doctor she knew how to adjust the dosage of her own prescription to suit a child.

The women told police that they tried to hide the fact that Ryleigh was given the drugs because they were afraid of the consequences, the affadavit said.

Deputy Public Defender Ed Kane, who is representing Kendra Hatch, declined to comment on the case. A special public defender representing Mylynda Hatch could not be reached for comment.

A Clark County School District spokeswoman said the district has no student named Ryleigh Island in its system.

Contact Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0391. Follow @WesJuhl on Twitter.