OSBI investing girl’s death

Velva Diane Patteson

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death of a 12-year-old girl which occurred Saturday.

The Chelsea Police Department requested OSBI investigative assistance. Authorities say they believe the girl ingested a large quantity of medication not prescribed to her.

The girl’s grandmother, Velva Diane Patteson, discovered she had taken the medications but failed to seek medical attention. Patteson was arrested on one count of child neglect.

An arrest report states Alexis was in her grandmother’s care for several days. Alexis is believed to have taken prescription medication not prescribed to her. Police said she was first discovered in a stupor early Friday evening.

An arrest report states Patteson’s granddaughter Alexis spent Thursday night in her home. Patteson found the girl in a drunken stupor on the couch in the living room around 5 p.m. Friday, April 7, police said.

Patteson took Alexis to the home of the girl’s mother, Jennifer Spurlock, in Foyil, where they could not get her to wake up, police said. The mother told Patteson to take the child back to Chelsea, and the girl was left in the car overnight where Patteson told police she checked on her every hour.

Police said the girl was still asleep in the car on Saturday, April 8, when Patteson, the mother and another juvenile drove her to Claremore where they shopped for groceries. Patteson finally called 911 from the parking lot and told medical personnel the girl took a bottle of her medication, according to police.

Alexis was transported to Hillcrest Hospital in Claremore at approximately 2 p.m. Doctors pronounced her dead a short time later.

After conducting interviews, OSBI special agents arrested Patteson, 59, on one count of child neglect. Patteson was booked into the Rogers County jail.

The state medical examiners office will determine the official cause of death.