Autopsy Shows Heroin Toddler Died from Drug Addiction, Pneumonia, & Syphilis

SAN ANGELO, TX – Day four of the Cristin Bradley trial continued with key testimony from the doctor who performed the autopsy on 2-month-old Brixlee Lee which showed the gruesome ways she died.

As previously reported, the Bradley trial is underway to determine her role in the death of Brixlee, which occurred on July 24, 2023. For the original article, see: Trial for 1st Defendant for Infant who Died of a Heroin Overdose Underway. On Days 2 and 3 of the trial the jury heard from a number of medical personnel and law enforcement who described the night Brixlee was taken to the hospital. The most intriguing one was a San Angelo Police Investigator who described the inside of Bradley's home. The home was alleged of having dirty needles scattered across the house.

Day three began with a witness that only saw Brixlee after her death. Dr. Tasha Greenberg, a deputy medical examiner at the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office, told the jury everything she found while performing Brixlee's autopsy. She began by describing her external observation.

Dr. Greenberg told the jury that Brixlee was 22 inches long and weighed 10-12 pounds. She had a trachea tube, an oral gas tube, a catheter, and four vascular lines in her neck, arm, and two in her left foot. She also observed a number of puncture wounds. The doctor confirmed that there were needles punctures on the infants lower stomach, legs, wrists, and lower spine.

Along with the puncture wounds, Brixlee also experienced extreme skin loss to her hands, chest, feet, arms, and anus. The child also had visible "crusts" which were described as puncture marks that were attempting to heal and visible bruising and damages to blood vessels.

The internal observation revealed even more problems. Dr. Greenberg's first note was the mass amount of fluid and inflammation in the body especially in the abdominal cavity. Next she noted the destructive lesions on her bones. The doctor described these lesions as abnormal as they were in all of the long bones in the child's body. Other symptoms the girl experienced was a brain edema, abscesses on multiple organs, a staphylococcus infection, a urinary tract infection, and syphilis.

District Attorney Allison Palmer asked the doctor what Brixlee's cause of death was. The doctor replied by telling the jury it was complicated because of the amount of underlying conditions. She eventually would say that the death was homicide and that Brixlee died from Pneumonia, Sepsis, Syphilis, Exposure to Opiates, and a Staff Infection.

The trial will continue throughout the day with more witness testimony.