Introduction to the Tragedy
NBC6 has learned a combination of prescription and designer street drugs led to the death of a young mother who traveled to Miami for cosmetic surgery in March and died hours later inside an unlicensed surgical recovery house.
Records from the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s office list the cause of death for 28-year-old Ahmonique Miller as acute combined drug toxicity.
The Family’s Devastation
Her mother Wakeelah Miller did not want to do an on-camera interview due to the ongoing investigation but told NBC6 she was devastated to learn what killed her daughter.
Ahmonique and her younger sister Kiera Barnes traveled to Miami in March to get cosmetic surgery together. What began as an adventure, ended in tragedy.
The Investigation Unfolds
The death of a young mother while at a post-surgery recovery house is now the subject of a police investigation.
“I have to remind myself every day that this is real,” Miller told NBC6 in a previous interview in April. “She’s not calling, she’s not going to send a text and… Ahmonique is not coming back.”
At the time, Ahmonique’s mother said both sisters both underwent procedures at Avana plastic surgery clinic on West Flagler Street, and then came here, to a home on SW 4th street which advertised itself as Keyla’s recovery House. Hours later, according to a Miami Police report, Ahmonique was dead, leaving behind her one-year-old daughter.
Cause of Death Revealed
NBC6 obtained records from the medical examiner’s office which show the cause of Ahmonique’s death was acute combined drug toxicity.
They found a mix of the prescription painkiller oxycodone and an unregulated drug, called bromazolam killed Ahmonique. In the medical examiner’s report, they describe bromazolam as a “potent designer…[drug] commonly found in counterfeit pills or powders.”
“My daughter’s supposed to be here with her daughter and unfortunately, she’s not,” Miller said in April.
The Role of the Recovery House
The medical examiner’s office report states “the use of these drugs in the hours following [Ahmonique’s] procedure are responsible for the fatal outcome.” Adding there is no evidence of “acute surgical complications”
“From what Kiera is saying that a muscle relaxer was given and possibly, uh, multiple Percocets and muscle relaxers,” Miller said.
According to a preliminary police death investigation report provided to the medical examiner, the owner of the recovery house, Keyla Oliver, told investigators she provided Ahmonique with two percocets and did not have a license to practice medicine.
Uncovering the Truth
Ahmonique’s sister Kiera also told police, Oliver gave Ahmonique an unknown number of muscle relaxers from Kiera’s prescription and two percocets from an “unlabeled pill bottle” because Ahmonique’s “medication was not ready”
“As far as we know, her actual prescription was never picked up from the pharmacy,” Miller said at the time.
Oliver’s attorney declined to comment at this time.
Oliver previously told investigators Ahmonique was only given prescription pills at the recovery house.
The Aftermath
“I never thought that i would be, putting together obituaries for my daughter, for my child,” Miller said, “She was smart, extremely smart. She was beautiful…Just a big loss.”
The medical examiner’s report goes on to say the combined use of the two types of drugs impacts breathing and increases the risk of death during sleep.
Though Wakeelah Miller declined to speak on camera at this time due to the ongoing investigation, she said she spends her days trying to figure out how this happened and wants to make sure it never happens again.
Conclusion
The death of Ahmonique Miller is a tragic reminder of the dangers of unlicensed recovery houses and the importance of proper medical care. Her family’s quest for justice and their efforts to create change will hopefully prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
FAQs
Q: What was the cause of Ahmonique Miller’s death?
A: The cause of Ahmonique Miller’s death was acute combined drug toxicity due to a mix of prescription painkiller oxycodone and an unregulated drug called bromazolam.
Q: Where did Ahmonique undergo her cosmetic surgery?
A: Ahmonique underwent her cosmetic surgery at Avana plastic surgery clinic on West Flagler Street.
Q: What is the status of the investigation?
A: The investigation is ongoing, and Miami police have not responded to requests for an update.
Q: What is Wakeelah Miller doing to prevent similar tragedies?
A: Wakeelah Miller has created an online petition pushing for new laws targeting unlicensed recovery homes operating in South Florida.
