Before the death of her son, Vadney Blake could have been considered just a single mother living with the worries many face. A combination of poverty, drugs and shady characters may have led to Vadney becoming the other main character in this tragedy.

According to court records by the DCS and court affidavits, she had been let go from her job at NASCO on May 23, 2008. The family had no real home of their own. Vadney and Jalen had been living at the home of Justin’s parents, John and Glenda, or with Vadney’s mother, Linda Kelly.

The DCS record said Vadney had worked at NASCO for two years, but Vadney told investigators that the company “had treated her differently when they found out she had a learning disability,” and said she was slow on the machines in the plant.

But, according to court records, her firing was after Vadney had started seeing Jeff Truelove. Vadney told Daviess County investigators during the week of May 19, she and Truelove started smoking meth together. Family members said in the DCS file that Blake “had started changing two to three weeks” before Jalen’s death.

It was on May 26 when Jalen stayed with Vadney and Truelove at the cabin. They had smoked meth in front of him, also in the parking lot of the Glendale Dam on CR 825S, near Kelly’s home, on May 28.

It was on May 29 that Jalen was taken for the first time to Jasper Memorial Hospital and DCS was first called by doctors and the emergency room staff.

The next day, May 30, Jalen took a drug test at the office of Dr. Merle Holsapple of Montgomery. The nurse practitioner working at the office said his injuries were suspicious but nothing suggested abuse.

Records show Potts had tried to start an “Informal Adjustment” with Vadney, dated May 30. An informal adjustment is a safety plan for Jalen. In that plan, it said Vadney was to submit to regular drug tests and seek any medical attention for Jalen.

On June 2, both Berry and Heshelman asked Vadney to take a voice stress analysis given by Daviess County Sheriff’s Detective Gary Allison. She was given three sets of questions related to Jalen’s injuries and Berry was contacted about the results. Berry then asked for Vadney to come to the local DCS office.

It was on June 6 that the local office was faxed results of the positive drug screen. Houseworth said a receptionist in Holsapple’s office called Heshelman with the results.

On June 9, Potts met with the family to talk about the positive drug screen and start the informal adjustment. Vadney did not sign the report, saying she wanted to consult with an attorney before signing. According to Jalen’s file, Vadney got upset about Jalen’s positive drug test and said she did not know how it got into his system.

Before Vadney’s admission of the meth and the affair with Truelove, it was assumed by the family he could have gotten into trash at Glendale Fish and Wildlife Area and ingested meth that way.

Jalen went to Dr. Holsapple’s office again, on June 17, for vomiting and again on June 19. Jalen was taken to Daviess Community Hospital and after a CT scan of his head and receiving fluids, he was released to his mother. According to the records, Holsapple noted in his report that “he was wondering if this was more of withdrawal from methamphetamine.” A urine sample was not able to be collected.

He was taken back to DCH on June 22, to Holsapple’s office on June 23 and had an EEG test performed on June 25 at DCH.

Those tests reported nothing on June 26, the day the incident in Haysville allegedly occurred.