Homer Glen parents charged with first-degree murder in toddler’s drug overdose death

A Homer Glen father and mother face a new charge of first-degree murder that alleges they failed to seek timely medical care for their 2-year-old child who was suffering from a drug overdose that led to the toddler’s death.

Details about the new charges against Edward Weiher, 49, and Alexa Balen, 28, were revealed in a court hearing on Monday. The case was initially sealed from the public when the indictment was filed and then unsealed.

Balen and Weiher were the parents of Trinity Balen-Weiher, 2, who died on Nov. 7, 2024, from fentanyl, cocaine and bromazolam intoxication, according to Will County prosecutors. Bromazolam is a synthetic drug with psychoactive and sedative effects.

The parents had initially been arrested on a felony charge of child endangerment after a Will County Sheriff’s Office investigation of the child’s death.

Balen-Weiher and her 7-year-old sister lived in a “million-dollar home” in Homer Glen that prosecutors said was in complete disarray, with an entire floor covered in garbage, food, urine and feces.

Suspected cocaine and heroin was also found on countertops, tables and mattresses and other areas that were accessible to the child, prosecutors said.

A forensic pathologist reached her conclusion about Balen-Weiher’s fatal drug overdose death on Jan. 30. Prosecutors then retained Dr. Steven Aks to review the case file.

Aks rendered an opinion in a report issued on May 19, according to prosecutors.

Aks’ report said if Balen-Weiher had been treated by paramedics immediately, her ingestion of the drugs would have been survivable.

“If the [emergency medical services] system were activated when the child became sleepy or symptomatic of an overdose, there would have been a chain of life-saving measures instituted,” Aks report said.

Aks said the rapid use of anti-overdose medication called naloxone, or Narcan, could have “woken the child up and may have been lifesaving.”

At the time Balen-Weiher was overdosing, Weiher attempted to giver her Narcan but sprayed it outside her nostril, according to prosecutors.

Weiher and Balen ordered more Narcan through an Uber delivery service and attempted to administer more doses to the child, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors said when Balen called 911, the child had been suffering from an overdose for about three hours and 41 minutes.

Usually prosecutors file a charge of drug-induced homicide when someone dies of a drug overdose after obtaining the drugs from another person.

But in this case, prosecutors are charging Weiher and Balen with first-degree murder for allegedly failing to provide timely medical care for Balen-Weiher.

Balen-Weiher was suffering from a drug overdose, and the parents allegedly knew the overdose created a “strong probability of death or great bodily harm” to the child, according to an indictment.

Balen and Weiher are also charged with first-degree murder for allowing the child to have access to controlled substances and knew her exposure to them would create a strong probability of death or great bodily harm.

After the first-degree murder charge was filed, prosecutors renewed their bid to have Weiher and Balen placed in jail.

But Joliet attorney Cosmo Tedone successfully argued before Will County Judge Vincent Cornelius that the couple should remain on pretrial release.

Tedone said Balen has no criminal history and Weiher has limited criminal history. He said both have complied with their conditions of release and have not tested positive for any substance.

Cornelius said he knows he placed strict conditions on the couple, including home confinement and substance abuse treatment.

“The defendants have demonstrated compliance up to this point,” Cornelius said.