Posted on Sun, Oct. 14, 2007

Four years in the making

Writer Mary Meehan and photographer David Stephenson secured permission from Dawn Nicole Smith and the court system to spend parts of the last four years with her and her family. In addition to reviewing court records, the journalists observed Dawn in court, in jail and at home and interviewed drug experts, judges, drug court caseworkers and an extended group of people whose lives intersected with Dawn's. To read more about how this series was done, go to the Behind the Headlines blog at Kentucky.com.

Mary Meehan, 43, has been a reporter for nearly 20 years and a writer at the Herald-Leader since 1999. She has won dozens of national, regional and state awards for her work. She is a Western Kentucky University alumna.

David Stephenson, 37, joined the Herald-Leader in 1997 and twice has won the Kentucky News Photographers Association's Photographer of the Year Award. He was named National Press Photographers Association Region 4 Photographer of the Year in 2000 and 2002. He is a graduate of WKU.

Sharon Walsh edited this series. Ron Garrison was the photo editor; Brian Simms was the page designer; Camille Weber was the graphics designer; and N.T. Ricker, Mary Sondergard and Brian Throckmorton were the copy editors. Lu-Ann Farrar, news research manager, and Linda J. Johnson, computer-assisted reporting coordinator, provided research and assistance.