Nanny Testifies She Made List of Medications in Anna Nicole Smith's Home

Nadie Alexie was worried "because of the way she (Smith) was getting sick"

A nanny who helped care for Anna Nicole Smith's newborn daughter testified Tuesday that she compiled a list of medications she found at the home in the Bahamas where the reality TV star -- who she said was heavily medicated at times -- spent the last few months of her life.

Nadine Alexie -- who was an aspiring pharmacy technician at the time -- told the Los Angeles Superior Court jury that she was worried "because of the way she (Smith) was getting sick.''

She said she wrote down the names of the medications so she could look through a reference book and consult with her teacher about the purposes of the drugs.

The testimony came during the sixth week of testimony in the trial of Smith's longtime companion, Howard K. Stern, her doctor, Sandeep Kapoor, and another physician, Khristine Eroshevich, who had lived next door to Smith in Studio City.

The three are accused of conspiring to prescribe, administer and dispense controlled substances to an addict from June 2004 until Feb. 8, 2007 -- the day Smith died from an accidental prescription drug overdose in a Florida hotel room at age 39.

Under questioning by Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose, the former nanny said there were times when she saw Smith heavily medicated.

"Did you ever see Anna Nicole Smith fall?'' the prosecutor asked Alexie, who worked for Smith between September and December 2006.

Alexie responded that she saw the model fall about four times.

She said she asked for Stern's help in moving Smith on one occasion after she fell, and that he responded that she should put some pillows around Smith and that Smith would be OK.

The nanny testified that the former Playboy Playmate was "really depressed'' after the death of her 20-year-old son, Daniel, and that Eroshevich -- who Smith referred to as "Mommy'' -- told her that Smith needed to be roused every four hours to take medication.

Smith said at points that she didn't feel like taking her medication, and was not heavily medicated when she had a media appearance or friends visiting from the United States, Alexie told jurors.

"She would be herself,'' the former nanny said, noting that Smith's language wouldn't be slurred and she wouldn't stumble.
  
Alexie told jurors that she stopped working for Smith after Stern told her that information had been leaking out and they wanted someone who would live at the house, and that she provided police in the Bahamas with the list of the medications after Smith's death.

Alexie's sister-in-law, Quethlie Alexie, who also worked for Smith, testified through a Creole interpreter that Stern and Eroshevich brought Smith to a bathroom so they could give her medication and that it was like she was drunk when she came out.

"She was unable to walk, falling ...,'' Quethlie Alexie testified.

Stern, 41, is charged with 11 felony counts, including prescribing, administering or dispensing a controlled substance to an addict, obtaining a prescription for opiates by deceit, fraud or misrepresentation and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Eroshevich, a 61-year-old psychiatrist, and Kapoor, a 41-year-old doctor who specializes in internal and geriatric medicine, are each charged with six felony counts, including unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance, prescribing, administering or dispensing a controlled substance to an addict and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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