KELLYVILLE, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) – September 23rd, 2025
Jacob Towe still talks about his son Leo in the present tense. To him, Leo is not only remembered he is to be carried forward. What began as one father’s grief is growing into a wider movement of parents, advocates, and lawmakers rallying behind Leo’s Law as a way to confront fentanyl’s devastating reach.
On June 20, 2024, Leo died of a fentanyl overdose while in the care of his mother. She had admitted to law enforcement that she had been using drugs for nearly two years. Jacob was in California at the time of Leo’s passing, working and completing required parenting classes. Two days before his planned return home, his lawyer called with the news.
“He was a loving kid, Spider-Man’s biggest fan,” Jacob said in a zoom call with The Oklahoma Post. “He loved Jesus. He was always nice. He was never rude.”
Photos of Leo show the same thing his father’s voice carries: a boy whose face shines with energy and sweetness. Just a week before his death, Leo had looked up at his father and said, “I love Jesus.”
“I planted that seed,” Jacob recalled. “That’s what we’re supposed to do.”
A System Overwhelmed
According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, fentanyl-involved overdose deaths rose from about 50 in 2019 to more than 700 in 2023, a fifteen-fold increase in just four years. This grounds Leo’s case in the statewide crisis.
“I threw my phone,” Jacob said. “There’s no way this was real.”
What followed was a blur of grief and unanswered questions. At the center of his frustration is the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS).
“DHS can drug test, but they don’t require fentanyl testing,” Jacob explained. “If fentanyl is suspected or involved in a case, it should be mandatory. That would have saved lives. It could have saved Leo’s life.”
The failures, in his view, were structural as well as specific. “DHS is so overloaded with children and cases they don’t have enough workers to focus,” he said. “Every other court date, I’d have a new caseworker who didn’t know what was going on.”
Jacob’s own circumstances compounded the problem. After separating from Leo’s mother, he was ordered to complete parenting classes. He was working in California but maintaining a home in Oklahoma for Leo. Then, mid-case, state law changed to require in-person classes.
“I couldn’t do them over the phone anymore,” he said. “That forced me to stay in California. It was a butterfly effect of things. If they’d tested her for fentanyl, it would have changed everything.”
Oklahoma statute 43 O.S. § 107.2 authorizes courts to require parenting education programs in custody and divorce cases. In recent years, some programs shifted to in-person only formats, limiting flexibility for parents like Jacob who lived out of state while trying to comply.
Oklahoma already has precedents for requiring educational or parenting classes in certain legal or familial situations. For example, a law passed in 2014 requires that divorcing parents of minor children attend co-parenting or parenting classes when filing for a no-fault divorce. These laws address the well-being and education of parents, especially regarding the effects of divorce. However, they do not require drug or fentanyl-specific testing, nor do they always apply in all custody or DHS service cases.
In Jacob’s case, state law changes requiring in-person parenting or custody classes introduced barriers. While he maintained a home in Oklahoma and complied with required courses, a mid-case change in law shifted some classes from phone-based or flexibly delivered to strictly in-person. This forced him to remain physically out of state at a critical time in the process. Jacob believes these logistical shifts, combined with the lack of mandatory fentanyl testing, compounded the systemic failure.
Justice and Accountability
Charges have been filed against Leo’s mother. She faces felony child neglect, which carries a potential life sentence. Jacob said the outcome is uncertain but believes accountability must also extend to dealers.
“Whoever sold her the sack that killed my son should definitely be charged,” he said.
When asked whether the Attorney General or law enforcement had promised to pursue that angle, Jacob shook his head. “Not yet. I’ve been told the county is taking it seriously, but I haven’t heard about the dealer.”
Jacob Towe (left), State Rep. JJ Humphrey (center), and Dalton Johnson (right) stand together at a rally for Leo’s Law, held in memory of three-year-old Leonardo “Leo” Towe. The proposed legislation would require mandatory fentanyl testing in DHS child welfare cases where the drug is suspected.
While Jacob Towe pushes for Leo’s Law to become reality, other fentanyl-related measures are already moving through the Oklahoma Legislature.
One such proposal is SB 1280, authored by Senator Darrell Weaver. The bill targets the manufacturing of fentanyl when it is combined with other drugs, creating harsher penalties for distribution. Unlike Leo’s Law, which centers on child welfare and DHS reunification standards, SB 1280 addresses the supply side of the fentanyl crisis.
As of September 2025, there is no finalized bill text for Leo’s Law available in public legislative databases. Towe confirms the legislation is being drafted and expects it to be introduced during the spring 2026 session, though a bill number has not yet been assigned.
The intent of Leo’s Law is straightforward: require mandatory fentanyl drug testing by DHS whenever fentanyl is suspected in a case, before children are returned to a parent’s custody.
Another related measure is HB 1484 (‘Rain’s Law’), which would require Oklahoma schools to integrate fentanyl prevention and drug poisoning awareness into existing health education programs. As of April 2025, legislative records show it was ‘Placed on General Order,’ meaning it remains in the process but has not yet advanced to final passage. Together, these efforts provide the backdrop for Leo’s Law; part of a broader movement to confront fentanyl’s growing toll in Oklahoma communities.
Turning Loss Into Law
From that pain, Jacob has built momentum, and a TEAM, for a proposal he calls Leo’s Law. For Jacob, Leo’s Law is the bridge between unimaginable loss and the possibility of protecting other children.
At its core, the measure would require fentanyl testing for parents with open DHS cases whenever the drug is suspected. The idea is simple, he says: prevention through accountability.
The law has already drawn notable support. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert has tasked his legal team with drafting a bill for the upcoming legislative session. Rep. JJ Humphrey has endorsed the effort. Senator Todd Gollihare has expressed interest in sponsorship. Local leaders, from Bristow’s mayor to Kellyville’s mayor, have offered their backing.
Endorsements have also come from unexpected corners. Miss Oklahoma, Jessica Lynnette, has pledged support. Advocacy groups such as Family Supporting Families and the Creek County Prevention Program have partnered with Jacob to bring the message to schools. “We go to schools and share our stories,” Jacob said. “Leo’s picture is used in classrooms. They give out resources and Narcan.”
Leo’s bright smile and love for superheroes captured the heart of everyone who knew him. In June 2024, he died at just three years old after fentanyl exposure while in the care of his mother.
Leo’s story has since become a national symbol of the fentanyl crisis. His picture has been shared across major news outlets, including Fox News, and was held up by former DEA Administrator Derrick S. Maltz as part of a project honoring children lost to fentanyl.
Today, Leo’s image is part of the Drug Epidemic Memorial Project and will also appear in upcoming national initiatives, including the White House ONDCP project. His father, Jacob Towe, continues to share Leo’s story through Leo’s Law, a proposed bill requiring fentanyl testing in DHS cases where the drug is suspected.
Leo’s legacy now stands as both a warning and a call to action: to protect other children and families from suffering the same fate.
Raising Leo’s Photo on the National Stage
But Jacob isn’t stopping at Oklahoma. His goal is to take Leo’s Law across the country.
“Fentanyl doesn’t discriminate,” he said. “It doesn’t care how old you are, what race you are, what your health is. It will kill. Every parent needs to understand that.”
He’s already building networks with other parents who have lost children. “It’s not just for Leo,” Jacob said. “It’s for every child in Oklahoma and beyond. I couldn’t save Leo, but we can fight to save others.”
Jacob Towe’s advocacy for Leo’s Law is gaining visibility far beyond Oklahoma. Recently, he was invited to the White House as part of an ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control Policy) project. Leo’s picture was selected for inclusion in a memorial or awareness exhibit tied to this federal effort, underscoring how his story is now part of the national dialogue on fentanyl.
On October 18, 2025, Jacob will speak at the Fifth Annual Lost Voices of Fentanyl Rally, held at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. The event, organized by the nonprofit Lost Voices of Fentanyl (LVOF), brings together families who have lost loved ones to illicit fentanyl poisoning. The rally begins at 9:30 a.m. in the North East quadrant of the National Mall.
Lost Voices of Fentanyl rallies have drawn thousands of families in past years, with photos of children lost to fentanyl covering the National Mall in one of the most visible displays of grief and advocacy in the country.
This platform offers Jacob a broader audience for Leo’s Law, adding momentum to his state-to-state plans. It connects his personal grief with a national coalition of bereaved families, increasing public awareness and pushing for legislative change on a larger scale.
A Superhero’s Legacy
For Jacob, Leo’s dream is best captured in the words he loved to repeat: “Let’s go super superheroes.”
“He wanted to be a superhero,” Jacob said. He agreed to let that statement stand as part of Leo’s legacy. “That’s what this fight is about,” he added. “He wanted to be a superhero. This is how he still saves lives.”
The draft of Leo’s Law is expected to be introduced in the spring legislative session. Jacob plans to travel, speak at schools, and build state-to-state momentum. Endorsements are stacking up, but his determination is built on something deeper than politics.
“I wake up every single morning bawling my eyes out, missing the most precious thing God ever gave me,” he said. “But through this law, through Leo, we can change the future.” Jacob believes his son’s legacy will help save lives, turning tragedy into prevention.
Go Fund Me: Fundraiser by Jacob Towe : Leo’s Law
Where to Follow Jacob Towe (Jake Bleazy)
Stay connected with Jacob’s music, advocacy, and updates on Leo’s Law through his official platforms:
- Twitter/X: X jakebleazy
- YouTube: (2925) Jake Bleazy – YouTube
- SoundCloud: Dream by Jake Bleazy
- Linktree: Jake Bleazy | Facebook, TikTok | Linktree
Editor’s Note: The Oklahoma Post will track the progress of Leo’s Law through the 2026 session and beyond.
Writing By: Robbie Robertson | Editing by Robbie Robertson
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