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Parents of deceased toddler among 22 indicted in Barbour

PHILIPPI – A Belington couple accused of feeding their 23-month-old child methadone – the substance that allegedly caused the infant’s death – were among the 22 individuals indicted Monday by a Barbour County grand jury.

David Lee DeLauder, 38, and Ida Lee Evans, 31, are charged with one felony count of death of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian by child abuse and one felony count of conspiracy.

According to the criminal complaint on file at the Barbour County Magistrate Clerk’s office, Cpl. A.S. Loudin with the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children unit was dispatched on March 13 to Davis Memorial Hospital, where the child had been taken after she died.

A toxicology report revealed on March 19 that methadone, a Schedule II drug, was present in the child’s system and could have been the cause of her death.

When the couple was interviewed on March 21, law enforcement discovered that neither DeLauder nor Evans had a prescription for methadone, but had purchased some from another person in Philippi, according to the criminal complaint. In the interview, both reported getting high on the drug and falling asleep in the same bed as the child. Each one advised police that the other had methadone in their pocket.

In addition to DeLauder and Evans, the following indictments were returned Monday:

– Charles Joseph Marsh, 34, of Philippi, was indicted on one felony count of second-degree murder. Marsh is accused of killing Gregory E. Durst, who died from injuries he suffered after an alleged bar fight with Marsh on Oct. 13, 2012, at a tavern in Barbour County. Durst died 10 days after the fight.

– Charles David McCord, 22, of Flemington, was indicted for sexual assault in the third degree, a felony.

– Tanya Lynn Bowers, 33, of Belington, was indicted for one felony count of operating or attempting to operate a clandestine drug lab, one felony count of the possession of substances to be used as a precursor to manufacture methamphetamine and two felony counts of conspiracy.

– Randall Jackson Coontz, 31, of Belington, was indicted for one felony count of operating or attempting to operate a clandestine drug lab and one felony count of possession of substances to be used as a precursor to manufacture methamphetamine.

– Misty Dawn Edman, 26, of Belington, was indicted on two felony counts of conspiracy, one felony count of operating or attempting to operate a clandestine drub lab and one felony count of the possession of substances to be used as a precursor to manufacture methamphetamine.

– Reese Daniel Heesh, 37, of Belington, was indicted on one felony count of the delivery of a controlled substance, one felony count of operating or attempting to operate a clandestine drug lab, and one felony count of possession of substances to be used as a precursor to manufacture methamphetamine.

– Cody Aaron Phillips, 26, of Belington, is charged with two felony counts of operating or attempting to operate a clandestine drug lab, two felony counts of conspiracy and two felony counts of possession of substances to be used as a precursor to manufacture methamphetamine.

– Stephen Joe Tacy, 39, of Belington, was indicted on one felony count of operating or attempting to operate a clandestine drub lab and one felony count of possession of substances to be used as a precursor to manufacture methamphetamine.

– Jennifer Ann Tutalo, 30, of Belington, faces two felony counts of conspiracy, one felony count of operating or attempting to operate a clandestine drub lab and one felony count of possession of substances to be used as a precursor to manufacture methamphetamine.

– Timothy Lee Jamison Jr., 32, of Belington, was indicted on one felony count of cultivating marijuana.

– Coty Lee McCord, 21, of Philippi, was indicted on one felony count of burglary, one felony count of conspiracy and one misdemeanor count of petit larceny.

– Walter William McCord, 39, of Moatsville, was indicted on one felony count of burglary, one felony count of conspiracy and one misdemeanor count of petit larceny.

– Joshua Eric Nolen, 31, of Stephenville, Texas, was indicted on the felony of driving while under the influence of alcohol, third offense. He was also indicted on one misdemeanor count of driving while license revoked for driving under the influence of alcohol.

– Travis Wayne Poling, 32, of Philippi, was indicted on one felony count of driving while under the influence of alcohol, third offense, and one misdemeanor count of second-offense driving while license revoked for driving under the influence of alcohol.

– Susan Lee Coontz, 56, of Belington, was indicted on the felony charge of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

– Edgar Charles Ware, 63, of Belington, faces three felony counts of failure to comply with a sex offender registry, third offense.

– Jonathon Keith Hunt, 58, of Belington, was indicted on one felony count of failure to comply with the sex offender registry.

– William Lee Howell, no age or address listed in the indictment, was indicted on one felony count of fraudulent schemes and one felony count of conspiracy.

– Robert Dale Howell, 42, of Elkins, was indicted on one felony count of fraudulent schemes and one felony count of conspiracy.

– Cyrena Raichelle Bennett, 49, of Roanoke, Va., was indicted on two felony counts of fraudulent schemes.

Arraignments are scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Barbour County Circuit Court. All those indicted are innocent until proven guilty.

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