A New Boston man convicted of drug-induced homicide and methamphetamine delivery has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.
A jury found 43-year-old Dale Robert Woodsmall guilty of a Class X felony of drug-induced homicide and two Class 2 felonies of methamphetamine delivery in June. On Tuesday, Judge Matthew Durbin sentenced Woodsmall to 22 years in prison for drug-induced homicide and four years in prison for both of the delivery counts, which will be served consecutively with the drug-induced homicide count, but concurrently with each other.
Mercer County State’s Attorney Grace Simpson argued for a 27-year sentence, while defense attorney William Breedlove argued for the minimum 15-year sentence. The drug-induced homicide conviction carried a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Woodsmall was arrested in connection with the May 2024 death of 26-year-old Blake Russell of Joy. He is convicted of selling meth to Russell and another man on the day Russell was later found dead near Seaton due to methamphetamine intoxication.