FORT PAYNE, Ala.– District Attorney Summer Summerford announced that Bradley Blanks was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the 2023 death of a minor child.

Blanks was sentenced Wednesday, February 4, by Shaunathan Bell in DeKalb County Circuit Court.

On July 27, 2023, law enforcement and fire personnel responded to a house fire in the Grove Oak community with a young child reported trapped inside. Firefighters located the unresponsive child and removed him from the home. CPR was administered, but the child was later pronounced dead. The cause of death was determined to be smoke inhalation.

Fire investigators determined the blaze began when a pressurized container holding ignitable liquids failed. The fire was ruled incendiary and caused by a chemical reaction during the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine.

Summerford said, “Children are our greatest blessing. Any death is hard, but the death of a young child is especially hard.” She also thanked the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama State Fire Marshals, the Fort Payne Fire Department, and volunteer firefighters for their response and investigative work.

The case was prosecuted by Summerford and Deputy District Attorney Brady Burns.