A Braxton County couple has been charged in the death of their infant after an autopsy report found lethal ethanol levels in its system. James J. Smith and Angel Talbert have each been charged with first-degree murder, child neglect resulting in death and conspiracy, according to a criminal complaint filed in Braxton County Magistrate Court. Deputies said they were initially called to Braxton County Memorial Hospital in November 2024 to investigate the death of an infant child. The pair later admitted to rubbing alcohol on the infant’s gums and around its mouth when it got irritable nearly every day for a month prior to its death. Both Smith and Talbert are being held without bond.