CARLSBAD, N.M. (KRQE) – A judge has declared a mistrial for Kellie Smith, the Carlsbad woman charged in her grandson’s overdose death. The trial was set to begin on Monday, November 6, but Judge David Finger’s office says they could not seat a jury from the selected pool of candidates.
Police arrested Kellie Smith and her daughter, Alexis Smith, after they found 12-year-old Brent Sullivan unresponsive in a shed in 2021. Investigators believe Kellie and Alexis were dealing fentanyl and that the boy had taken drugs from their stash. They say he overdosed on three separate occasions before he died.
Kellie Smith is charged with child abuse and intentional child abuse resulting in death. Alexis Smith was convicted of child abuse and intentional child abuse resulting in death. On Wednesday, Judge Lisa Riley sentenced her to 14 years.
