Man charged in baby’s death to remain in prison
A Fayette County judge on Wednesday denied a request to reinstate bond for a Point Marion man charged with criminal homicide in the 2011 death of his 15-month-old daughter.
However, if prosecutors do not provide the remaining discovery in the case against Robert Dodson, 56, within the next 20 days, Judge Steve P. Leskinen said he would revisit the motion to reinstate bond.
Dodson, accused in the Jan. 6 death of Madison Violet Dodson, had been free on $25,000 percentage bond until October when he was charged with drunken driving in West Virginia. Drinking alcohol, leaving the state and having new criminal charges all violated the bond conditions Leskinen set.
Dodson’s attorney, Jack W. Connor, asked the judge to reinstate bond with the additional conditions that Dodson report to pretrial services and wear an electronic monitor.
District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr. opposed the request.
Tammy Bohon, the infant’s 35-year-old mother, is also charged with criminal homicide. Both parents also are charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
State police alleged that Bohon and Dodson neglected their daughter, leading to her death.
Police alleged that Dodson let the infant sleep on the living room floor amongst animal feces and garbage that was strewn around the room at their home on Morgantown Street.
Bohon was out smoking crack cocaine when the infant died, police alleged, and one of the baby’s siblings found her Jan. 6.
The infant was reliant upon a feeding tube that came out, police said.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril H. Wecht found the child died of dehydration and malnutrition, according to his autopsy report.
A pediatrician in Morgantown, W.Va., testified at a preliminary hearing that while the child had medical issues, including a developmental issue with one of her lungs and the requirement that she be fed through a feeding tube, a pattern of malnourishment and poor care were apparent.
Connor said during Wednesday’s hearing that he has yet to receive a pretrial offer in the case, and could yet file a motion to have both tried separately.
Bohon was also free on bond, but ultimately remanded to prison for violating her bond conditions as well.
The two are scheduled for a joint trial in April, however, Leskinen said that it seemed unlikely the matter would be tried that soon.