Plea deals end Gadsden murder trial

Narsheun Smith                       Brandy Lee

Two plea deals end a capital murder trial in the death of a Gadsden toddler.  The child's mother, Brandy Lee, and her then-boyfriend, Narsheun Smith, were each charged with capital murder and felony murder in the death of two year old Treyvaughn Blount in August 2011. Prosecutors say Trey Blount died of head injuries. After an afternoon that consisted mostly of jurors and courtroom visitors waiting around as attorneys conferred with each other, the two returned with their attorneys and plea deals.  Brandy Lee entered a guilty plea of felony murder, and will be sentenced January 8. She could be sentenced from 10 to 99 years and will likely have to pay a $60,000 fine plus additional court costs.  Narsheun Smith entered a guilty plea to aggravated child abuse. Because of prior felony convictions--including at least one for cocaine distribution--Smith was sentenced in court by Etowah County Circuit Judge David Kimberly to 20 years. That includes four years time served and five years probation.  The morning court session included testimony that was often damaging especially to Brandy Lee. The child's aunt "by marriage" testified she saw Lee strike the child in the head multiple times before the child's death. After an incident at a water park, she recalls threatening to report Lee to the Department of Human Resources. "And two weeks later he was dead," she added.

The charge nurse at Gadsden's Riverview Regional Medical Center emergency room testified seeing the child brought in, being cradled in a man's arms. She said the child was not breathing and non-responsive, but still had a low heart rate. She testified the man who brought the child in was upset and had to be taken out of the room by hospital security so medical personnel could work on the toddler.  In court she identified the man as Narsheun Smith.