WEST POINT — A Clay County woman has been indicted on capital murder charges for allegedly giving her infant son an overdose of cough syrup.
Brittania Smith, 24 was indicted by a grand jury last week, according to Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott. If convicted, Smith could face the death penalty.
Smith was arrested earlier this month after the Mississippi Crime Lab concluded that Smith gave her 2-month-old son, Brinston Smith, a “lethal dose” of codeine in December.
To be charged with capital murder, the accused must have committed the murder in the commission of another felony. According to Scott, poisoning a child constitutes as felony child abuse.
Scott said he did not know whether Smith intentionally caused the infant’s death, but said, “You don’t give a child that small any type of codeine to start with, not a 2-month-old.”
Authorities say the codeine allegedly used in the incident was obtained through a prescription. Scott declined to say who the prescription was for.
Smith is currently in the Clay County jail.
Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.
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