COTHRAN

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — A man charged with involuntary manslaughter in the drug-related death of his 1-year-old daughter was released on bond Monday.

According to Belmont County Sheriff David Lucas, the girl died April 24 after Cameron Javon Cothran, 38, dropped her off at the East Ohio Regional Hospital emergency room and left.

“The baby was contaminated with fentanyl,” Lucas said.

Although the child was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital, Lucas said she later died. He added that law enforcement does not know where Cothran — a Cleveland resident who had been living in Bellaire — went after dropping the baby off, but he later returned to EORH. Reports indicate Cothran was raising the child on his own because her mother is incarcerated.

A Belmont County grand jury indicted Cothran on May 1, charging him with first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter. He was then lodged at the Belmont County Jail without bail to await arraignment, which had been scheduled for May 9.

According to the sheriff’s office, Cothran also is charged with driving under the influence, two counts of endangering children, possession of drugs, two counts of tampering with evidence and possession of a fentanyl-related compound.

On Monday evening, the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office indicated that Cothran had posted a bond and been released from custody.

County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan, who has said that Belmont County judges strive to ensure defendants make their initial appearance in court as soon as possible after being jailed, confirmed that Cothran was arraigned and pleaded innocent to all charges on Friday. Flanagan said Cothran’s bond initially was set at $50,000 then doubled to $100,000.

“That was actually five times the standard bond for a felony of the first degree,” Flanagan wrote in a text message.

According to court records, Cothran has a plea agreement deadline hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. June 3 and a trial date of June 25 beginning at 8:30 a.m.

In addition to detectives from the sheriff’s department, investigators on the case included officers from the Martins Ferry, Bridgeport, Bellaire and Wheeling police departments. Lucas said this is the third overdose of a child in the county so far this year, but it is the first child death by overdose.