HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A Huntsville woman charged with corpse abuse after the body of a 28-year-old missing woman was found in Five Points in 2021 has been indicted, court records show.
Quartney Marie Smith, 38, was one of two people charged with corpse abuse after Laekyn Steelman’s body was found in a wooded area near Maysville Road and Clinton Avenue on June 24, 2021.
Huntsville Police at the time said they believed that Stack, Smith and Steelman were engaging in illegal drug activity over the weekend at a home on Sutcliff Drive when Steelman overdosed. Stack and Smith are accused of dumping Steelman’s body where it was found Thursday morning.
In the Grand Jury indictment, Smith is accused of “treating a human corpse…in a way that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities.”
Joseph Stack, who was also arrested and additionally charged with criminal mischief and criminal trespassing, died on July 10, 2022, according to court documents.
Smith is currently free on a $15,000 bond.
A pretrial docket hearing has been set for Smith on April 26, 2023. A jury trial is scheduled to begin on May 15, 2023.