IT WAS DESCRIBED AS FUNNY,
KIND, CREATIVE AND CHARISMATIC.
IT IS WHAT CAUGHT HIS
PARENTS EYES WHEN THEY WERE
SEARCHING FOR A CHILD TO ADOPT.
CHRISTIAN WAS THE FIRST A
LITTLE BOY THEY SHOWED US A
PICTURE OF.
HE WAS SO CUTE.
SO SWEET.
CHRISTIAN WAS FIVE YEARS
OLD WHEN HE MOVED HERE TO JOIN
HIS NEW FAMILY.
SHORTLY AFTER STARTING HIGH
SCHOOL, CHRISTIAN STARTED ON A
PATHWAY THAT WOULD LEAD HIM TO
BECOMING ONE OF MINNESOTA'S
HEARTBREAKING STATISTICS.
WE EXPLAIN IN THIS WEEK'S LIFE
STORY.
I USED TO TELL HIM,
CHRISTIAN, YOU HAVE A STORY TO
TELL.
DONNA FINDS COMFORT IN THE
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE LITTLE BOY
SHE AND HER LITTLE BOY RAISED.
THIS IS WHEN WE TRAVELED
TO GUATEMALA.
CHRISTIAN WAS ONE OF THREE
CHILDREN THE COUPLE ADOPTED.
HE HAD THIS INFECTIOUS
SMILE.
HE LOVED TO LAUGH AND KID
AROUND.
HIS MOM SAYS HE MADE
FRIENDS EASILY, ENJOYED
PLAYING SPORTS, ESPECIALLY
HOCKEY.
WE HAD AN ICE RINK ON THE
LAKE.
CHRISTIAN LOVED FEELING
CONNECTED TO HIS FAMILY
FAMILY.
HE WAS SO PLEASED.
YOU COULD TELL HE WAS EXCITED
THAT HE HAD A MOM AND DAD.
SHE SAID HIGH SCHOOL WAS
DIFFICULT AS CHRISTIAN BEGAN TO
EXPERIMENT WITH DRUGS.
IT IS THAT FREEDOM THAT
CAME WITH DRIVING AND FRIENDS
THAT DROVE.
ALL THE SUDDEN, MOM AND DAD
COULDN'T CONTROL WHERE HE WAS.
IT STARTED WITH MARIJUANA.
THEN PROGRESSED TO HEROIN.
CHRISTIAN SPENT FOUR MONTHS IN
REHAB.
CHRISTIAN WAS IN AND OUT OF
TREATMENT FOR THE LAST FIVE
YEARS.
HIS 21st BIRTHDAY WOULD BE
HIS LAST.
A FRIEND WENT OVER TO THE
HOUSE WHERE KRISTIN WAS LIVING.
THEY FOUND HIM PASSED AWAY IN
THE BEDROOM. THEY THINK HE
PURCHASED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS
HEROIN.
BUT POLICE SAY IT WASN'T
HEROIN.
TEST RESULTS REVEALED IT WAS
FENTANYL.
LIKELY MIXED WITH BAKING SODA
TO LOOK LIKE HEROIN.
THEY THINK IT KILLED HIM ALMOST
INSTANTLY.
HE WAS STRUGGLING.
BUT I BELIEVE HE STILL WANTED
TO LIVE.
LIVE, AND TELL HIS OWN
STORY.
ANGELA DAVIS, WCCO4 NEWS.
CHRISTIAN'S FAMILY SAYS THE
POLICE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND
THE SOURCE OF THE DRUGS THAT
