Tests on children’s hair follicles incriminates dad in drug case, NC sheriff say

A dad accused of trying to murder someone in front of his kids is now facing child abuse charges, after tests on the children’s hair follicles indicated exposure to cocaine and meth, according to investigators in North Carolina.

Bradley Senecal, 53, is one of two adults in the case charged under a recently adopted N.C. law that makes it a felony to expose children to controlled substances, the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office reported in a news release. The family lives in Elizabethtown, about a 95-mile drive south from downtown Raleigh.

“Senecal ... was charged with attempted first degree murder after a domestic altercation occurred between him and another household member on December 31,” the sheriff’s office says.

“At the time of the incident there were five children in the home ranging from 12 yrs old to 5 yrs old. Bladen County Sheriff’s Office requested forensic interviews to be done on all five children. ... It was disclosed that there was substance abuse in the home while the children were present.”

Investigators obtained hair follicles from the children for testing by “a licensed medical provider,” officials said. In four cases, the hairs tested “for multiple drugs to include cocaine and methamphetamine,” officials said.

Senecal has been charged with four counts of felony exposing a child to controlled substances and four misdemeanor counts of child abuse, court records show. Three of the warrants refer to Senecal as the parent of the child, while the fourth warrant does not specify a relationship.

Shiana Di’Julia Roden, 39, has also been charged with four counts of exposing a child to a controlled substance and four counts of child abuse, officials said. Her relationship to the children was not specified.

The charge of exposing a child to controlled substances went into effect in December, after being passed by the state General Assembly, Bladen County officials said.

“This new law allows for felony charges for exposure to a child under the age of 16 years old to a controlled substance,” the sheriff’s office said.

“This will be the first case that Bladen County Sheriff’s Office investigators have used this charge. This new statute aims to strengthen protection for children and hold adults accountable for unsafe environments involving illegal drugs.”