PROVO, Utah - David Belgard insists he and his wife are not to blame for the death of a 1-year-old girl in Provo.
“I’m probably going to take a lie detector test," Belgard said. "I can’t talk about it, but we’ll clear our names.”
One-year-old Penny Cormani was found lifeless on the floor of the Belgard home on Dec. 2. Police say a lethal amount of heroin and codeine were found in her system.
“The mother called in saying the child was purple and blue," said Provo Police spokesman Nick Dupaix.
Belgard said his friends, Cassandra Leydman Richards, and Casey Cormani had spent the night with their daughter Penny. However, according to the police report, the next morning, around noon, Richards went to wake her daughter up from a nap, but found her blue, and unresponsive.
"I watched them carry her limp body out,” said a neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous.
Officer Dupaix said detectives were quickly dispatched to the residence where they found evidence of drug paraphernalia, including tin foil and straws, which may have been within reach of the 1-year-old girl.
According to the Provo Police search warrant, Belgard says:
"that he had observed both Cassandra and Casey using straws to inhale their prescriptions.”
But the parents pointed the finger back at the home owners saying:
"Both Casey and Cassandra reported that the paraphernalia belonged to either David or Sina.”
Police have yet to file any official charges against anyone involved, saying they are waiting on drug tests and the investigation to conclude before moving forward.
