Police say drinking game killed 11-year-old boy, uncle and girlfriend charged

By Justin Kendall in News

Fri., Jul. 31 2009 @ 8:09AM

Linda Petrait and Dale Phillips

Missed this yesterday. It's from Joplin. The couple on the right, Dale Phillips and Linda Petrait, are accused of challenging Phillips' 11-year-old nephew to a drinking game. Police believe the boy, Tyler Fecko, then died of alcohol poisoning.

Court records say Phillips and Petrait, both 27, challenged Fecko to drink several shots of Jim Beam Whiskey and then ignored the boy after he had "ingested a substantial amount of alcohol."

Fecko was found dead Monday at Phillips' home.

Petrait and Phillips are charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The probable cause statement is on the Joplin Globe's Web site.

Fecko's mother, Angie Fecko, told a local TV station that she doesn't blame her brother. She blames Petrait.

"God just didn't step in in time and Linda Petrait was giving him the alcohol and everything and I hope she pays for every last thing that she did," Angie Fecko told ABC 12.