Sentenced: Grandfather Figure Didn't Tell Medics About The Drugs While They Were Trying To Revive 3YO Boy

[Sugar Cookie]

Asher Lindo Robinson, 3, died on Jan. 25 while being taken to Riley Children's Health after police found him unresponsive at an east-side home an hour earlier.

His death was caused by an overdose of methadone, generally used as a substitute drug in the treatment of morphine and heroin addiction.

James Henry Roberson, 69, was arrested Tuesday in connection with the boy's death. He was indicted on one charge of neglect that caused death.

Asher was placed in the care of his grandmother eight hours after he was born in Muncie because his mother tested positive for drugs when he was born, court records show.

According to court documents, the grandmother told detectives her ex-husband of 40 years, James Roberson lived with their daughter, who is Asher's aunt, and the boy's older cousin.

Roberson told police he initially picked up Asher to take him to a festival. After the event, he asked Asher if he wanted to go home, but the boy said he wanted to see family members.

When the grandmother called to check on Asher, the cousin told her Asher wanted to spend the night. She protested, but he wasn't picked up.

She found out about Asher the next morning when that same family member called her crying.

Asher's aunt told police she woke up at 1 a.m. to Asher breathing funny. It sounded like he was gasping. She tried adjusting him, but between 2 and 3 a.m. when she went to pick up Asher, he was limp.

The family called 911 and attempted chest compressions on him.

She told police she knows her father does heroin and that others in the home use fentanyl, according to court documents.

A search revealed that on a nightstand near the bed where Asher slept was an orange pill, eight bottles of a red liquid, with six labeled methadone. The other two bottles were pills. The suspected methadone was also leaking from the bottles.

Roberson told police that on the morning before Asher died, Roberson had two 85 mg containers of methadone and poured it into a red cup that he sat on top of a dresser.

He'd forgotten about the medication and told police Asher likely used a chair to reach the cup and drink. He recalled to police that Asher had brought him a red cup and asked for water shortly before acting sleepy.

Roberson told police he'd used heroin that afternoon and didn't register the cup had contained his methadone until the next morning when his daughter woke him up because Asher wasn't breathing.

Even though the pills were on the bedside table, he didn't think Asher could open them.

The grandfather figure didn't tell medics about the drugs while they were trying to revive Asher.

He later told police he was ashamed because he'd "failed" his grandson and didn't want anyone to know what he'd done.

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2025/02/26/grandfather-arrested-one-month-after-3-year-old-asher-robinson-overdoses-methadone-james-roberson/80256169007/

 

[cubby]

If there is only one thing I learned as a mother, it's that child proof bottles are not always child proof. They can be adult proof but children can often get into them.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Why would the grandmother allow the Grandfather figure to take the child if she knew that he was a drug addict?

She was the one with custody and could have denied him or any other family member access to the child.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

State of Indiana v. JAMES HENRY ROBERSON​

04/10/2026

Sentenced Judicial Officer: Miller, Gary L 4. 35-46-1-4(a)(1)/F3: Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Serious Injury but resulting in serious bodi Confinement to Commence: 04/10/2026 Indiana Department of Correction Term: 4,380 Days Jail Credit: 409 Days Suspended: 2,555 Days Comment: Split sentence: 1095 days executed Indiana Department of Correction - 409+136 class B credit (2/25/25-4/9/26), followed by 730 days Marion County Community Correction home detention, 730 days probation Condition - Adult: 1. Abstract: Recommended Degree of Security - No Recommendation, 04/10/2026, Active 04/10/2026 2. Community Corrections, 730 days Marion County Community Correction home detention, INDIGENT TO FEES, 04/10/2026, Active 04/10/2026 3. Home Detention, 04/10/2026, Active 04/10/2026 4. Electronic Monitoring, 04/10/2026, Active 04/10/2026 5. Probation, 730 days reporting probation; INDIGENT TO FEES, 04/10/2026, Active 04/10/2026 6. Urinalysis, DRUG SCREEN/TEST; INDIGENT TO FEES, 04/10/2026, Active 04/10/2026