A woman was arrested following a child neglect investigation in Mercer County that lasted more than a year. 30-year old Ashley Smith was charged with concealment of a minor and child neglect resulting in injury after a Child Protective Services case was opened in April 2023 and lasted until July 2024. Eyewitness News said the CPS case involved drug use and living conditions while she and Kevin Cochran were in custody of their three children. A criminal complaint filed in the Mercer County Magistrate Court said CPS to lost contact with the couple after they moved from West Virginia to Kentucky, but CPS was able to reconnect in December 2023 after they moved back to Mercer County. The criminal complaint said Law enforcement and the CPS workers found the couple and children living in a small cemetery with a vehicle and a tent. Smith was arrested and taken to Southern Regional Jail where she is being held on a $25,000 bond. The children are under the care of CPS.