Shocking Verdict in the Heroin Baby Trial

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Cristin Bradley trial came to an end on Thursday with a shocking ending. 

Bradley was found not guilty of the original count of First Degree Felony Injury to a Child Causing Serious Bodily Injury. Instead, Bradley was found guilty of Reckless Injury to a Child by Omission, a Second Degree Felony. 

After nearly two weeks on trial for her role in the death of 2-month-old Brixlee Lee, the jury’s verdict was revealed as not guilty for the most serious charge. The jury deliberated the decision for over five hours before coming up with the verdict. 

During the deliberation, the jury requested additional copies of the jury’s charge. The defense, in their submission for the jury charge, requested that, “A person’s omission that causes bodily injury or serious bodily injury to a child may constitute an offense only if the person has a legal or statutory duty to act or has assumed care, custody, or control of the child.”

The jury foreperson requested “more copies of the charge to read through together.”

In addition to the copies of the jury charge, the foreperson requested an evidence list to be “able to pull specific evidence with defendant’s and State’s exhibits.” The jury also requested the State’s witness list.

Presiding Judge Carmen Dusek ordered the evidence to be made available in addition to gloves for handling the evidence. She also ordered more copies of the jury instructions delivered to the jury.

The defense, led by attorney Tommy Jackson, explained further in its jury charge submission that the if the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had a legal or statutory duty to act in care, control or protection of the child, “you must find the defendant ‘not guilty’ of intentionally or knowingly causing serious bodily injury to a child.”

Injury to a child with intent to cause serious bodily injury is a First Degree Felony in Texas.

Following the guilty verdict of Cristin Bradley, an updated mugshot was released by the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office.