New indictment sets minimum sentence in kidnapping case of 5-day-old

Kristen Smith allegedly kidnapped Kayden Powell in February

MADISON, Wis. — Kristen Smith was charged Wednesday with a new indictment that sets a mandatory minimum penalty for allegedly kidnapping 5-day-old Kayden Powell in February, according to a release.

Smith, 31, was originally charged with kidnapping an individual younger than 18 and transporting the victim in interstate commerce from Wisconsin to Iowa, but the new indictment confirms the victim was under the age of 18.

Authorities said Smith took her half-sister’s 5-day-old son from a Beloit home. Kayden was found alive in a bin outside an Iowa gas station 29 hours later in freezing temperatures.

She was arrested in West Branch, Iowa, on Feb. 6 and has been in custody since then, officials said. Her trial has been set for July 28.

If convicted, Smith faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years and a maximum penalty of life in federal prison, according to the release.