[...]
On Tuesday, Jason’s mother, Crystal K. Nash, 25 of Carmi
admitted she gave Jason the lethal overdose and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
In a negotiated plea, Nash entered guilty pleas to a class-X felony charge of drug inducted homicide and a class-2 felony charge of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. Edwards County Circuit Judge David Frankland sentenced Nash to
13 years in prison on the homicide charge and a consecutive seven-year sentence on the drug delivery charge. She must serve 75 percent of the 13-year sentence before beginning the seven-year sentence.
In presenting a factual basis for Nash’s guilty plea, Edwards County State’s Attorney Michael Valentine stated, “If the case were to proceed to trial, Illinois State Police Special Agent Gwyn Basinger would testify that
Crystal Nash admitted to giving Jason a medicine containing codeine to help him relax and get through a migraine. She would further testify … (Nash)
admitted to giving her son more than the recommended dosage of Benadryl and mixing it with codeine. She would also testify that Crystal admitted
it was her own stupidity for giving her son too much Benadryl and mixing it with codeine.”
The prescription cough syrup with codeine belonged to a house guest, 21-year-old A.J. Heid.
During an earlier preliminary hearing, Basinger testified Nash told her
she had given Jason “two big soup spoons” full of cough syrup with codeine after dosing him Benadryl.
[...]
The conviction of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance stemmed from allegations Nash gave
a quantity of the prescription drug Adderall to Heid, as well as “random people who wanted them.” The Adderall had been prescribed for Jason for treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Jason’s stepfather, Joshua Nash, 25, of Carmi is scheduled to appear in Edwards County Circuit Court on Friday for a pretrial hearing on the same charges as his wife. Both have been in custody since their arrest Oct. 23.
[...]
Bookmarks