LEE COUNTY, Ala. (WRBL) – In a landmark case for east Alabama, a Lee County jury has convicted a mother whose baby died as a result of her drug use.

“The jury convicted Cherith Shoemaker of Chemical Endangerment of a Child Causing Death. She was using Meth up until the day she gave birth to her baby that subsequently died as a result of her Meth usage. The baby had 5 times more Meth in his system than the defendant did,” said Lee County District Attorney Brandon Hughes.

Hughes says this case is the first of its kind in Lee County and one of the first such convictions in the state.

“The defendant gave birth to the child in a bathtub, wrapped the baby in a towel, and tossed him in the corner, and scrubbed the crime scene clean. Due to the fantastic investigative work by the Auburn Police Division and the prosecution of the case by ADAs Garrett Saucer and Cathey Berardi, the jury took less than an hour to convict the defendant,” said Hughes

Hughes says this was not an easy case because of the defendant’s efforts to hide the crime and the fact it was a crime never before prosecuted in the jurisdiction.

“Due to the efforts of all involved, the result is justice for this baby and a drug-addled baby killer off the streets. We take on difficult cases in this office because it is the right thing to do: seeking justice for those who can’t defend themselves,” said Hughes.

The crime is an A felony with punishment up to life in prison.

News 3 reached out to Shoemaker’s attorney Margaret Brown who did not have a comment.