Lexington mother pleads guilty after her son died from a drug overdose
A Lexington woman charged with manslaughter in the death of her 2-year-old child has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
Alashia Brown, 25, pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in Fayette Circuit Court Friday. She was previously facing a second-degree manslaughter charge before accepting the guilty plea deal.
Reckless homicide is a Class D felony in Kentucky. Prosecutor Todd Willard recommended a five-year prison sentence, which Judge Julie Goodman said is the longest sentence she can impose with the charge.
As part of the guilty plea deal, a $6,420 restitution bill has been ordered to be paid. Willard said he believes the crime victims compensation fund will pay the restitution.
Brown, who is out of custody, will be sentenced Feb. 22.
In November 2022, Brown was charged with murder and criminal abuse after her child died at a hospital from a fentanyl overdose. A few months later a Fayette County grand jury downgraded her murder charge to manslaughter and dropped the criminal abuse charge.
Investigation into the child’s death remains ongoing
Investigators are continuing to look into the man who owns the house where the incident occurred, Willard confirmed in court Friday.
Brown said she and her son were at someone else’s house when the incident occurred. She and the child took a nap around 11 a.m. or noon and when she woke up around 2 p.m., her son was no longer in bed.
Brown went to look for the child in the kitchen, where she found him unresponsive with a “blue pill in his hand,” according to previous court testimony. She attempted to wake the child, but was unsuccessful.
The child was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Willard said Brown was aware of the drug trafficking activity at the home when she and her child went there. No one else has been charged in the incident.
Brown originally told police the overdose happened at her home, according to Willard. When detectives figured out the truth, there were no signs of drug trafficking at the home where the incident happened.
