ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Tuesday, December 3, 1996              TAG: 9612030090
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG

59-YEAR-OLD DRUG SUSPECT DIES

A 59-year-old grandmother who was facing several charges of selling crack cocaine died Saturday.

Josephine Price Smith was diabetic and needed three dialysis treatments each week to clean her blood.

The Montgomery County Drug Task Force arrested Smith and her 74-year-old husband, William Bernice Smith, after officers raided the couple's Christiansburg home Aug. 28. During the raid the task force seized about 10 grams of cocaine, $7,900 in cash, two shotguns, a pistol and a small amount of marijuana.

The Smiths were each charged with possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana and related firearms charges. In October, Josephine Smith was directly indicted on three counts of selling crack cocaine.

William Smith remains in the Montgomery County Jail. The charges against him were certified Nov. 12 and will be heard by the next Montgomery County Circuit Court grand jury in January.

LENGTH: Short :   29 lines
KEYWORDS: FATALITY