Alabama lab owner is jailed for 15 years for forging drug test results and costing parents custody of their children - including the mother of a three-month-old baby whose test falsely showed she had METH in her system

 The owner of an Alabama laboratory has been jailed for forging drug test results, falsely claiming that parents had narcotics in their system and costing them custody of their young children in the process. 

A Dale County judge sentenced Brandy Murrah to 15 years in prison last Thursday after she pleaded guilty to one felony charge of perjury and 16 misdemeanor counts of forgery. 

Murrah, 37, previously owned A&J Lab Collections in the town of Ozark, where she would collect blood, urine and hair samples to send off to another center for testing.

According to prosecutors, Murrah owed money to that testing center and they were unwilling to extend her any further credit.  

Thus, Murrah allegedly took matters into her own hands and began falsifying test results in order to save cash. 

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Murrah is pictured in court with her lawyer last week. On at least 15 occasions, Murrah falsely claimed that samples had come back positive for drugs. This resulted in multiple parents being separated from their children by the courts

The Dale County Department of Human Resources used A&J Lab Collections to obtain samples from recovering drug users. In many instances, their tests results would determine whether or not they could keep custody of their children. 

On at least 15 occasions, Murrah falsely claimed that samples had come back positive for drugs. This resulted in multiple parents being separated from their children by the courts.

New mom Grace Locke had her three-month-old baby taken away from her because her drug test results falsely showed that she was positive for methamphetamine. 

'I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest because I knew I was doing right with this one,' Locke told the Dothan Eagle. 

'I don't understand why anybody would ever do that to any family, any children, for no reason'. 

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Jennifer Severs (left) lost custody of her three children after a lab report falsely showed she had methamphetamine and marijuana in her system. Her mom (right) decided to investigate further and discovered that Murrah was forging test results 

In another instance,  Jennifer Severs lost custody of her three children after a forged lab report falsely showed she had methamphetamine and marijuana in her system.  

Murrah's rouse soon came to an end when Severs' irate mother decided to investigate further. 

She tracked down Severs' doctor who subsequently determined that the testing center had never actually screened a sample that Severs had provided to Murrah's  A&J Lab Collections. 

Murrah was arrested in 2019.  

'It's hard when your children get snatched away from you,' Severs told WTVY last week. 

Murrah has admitted wrongdoing and has asked for forgiveness. 

However, her apology was not enough to save her from jail, where she is expect to stay until 2035. 

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Murrah (pictured hiding behind her handbag) was arrested in 2019. She will now spend 15 years behind bars