Man who allegedly admitted to moving body charged with manslaughter

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A man who police said admitted to dragging a man’s body across the street before calling 911 was arraigned in court Monday on a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

On May 27, 2016, Trevor Milstead allegedly called 911 and said there was a man passed out on the side of Eastview Road behind City Motel, according to the Washington C.H. Police Department.

WPD Patrolman Jeff Heinz wrote in a report that Milstead, 27, provided “several different deceptive statements” to police about the alleged victim, who was identified as 38-year-old Jonathan Thomas, of Washington C.H.

Milstead reportedly told police that as he was returning home to 1538 Washington Ave., he saw a man passed out on the side of Eastview Road.

It was approximately 4:30 a.m., reports said.

Heinz wrote in the report that he observed “drag marks” through the grass in the dew, and that Milstead then allegedly changed his story and said he found the alleged victim’s body in the grass beside his house, and dragged him across the street.

According to Heinz’s report, Milstead said he moved the victim’s body across the street to “set him up on the curb” and that “the light was better to give CPR.”

Thomas could not be revived and later died at Grant Memorial Hospital in Columbus, reports said.

The coroner’s report was not available as of press time Monday.

Milstead appeared Monday in the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas on charges of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.

Fayette County Prosecutor Jess Weade said during court Monday that the victim’s cause of death was due to a head injury from being dropped. Weade said the police responded to the 911 call of a man passed out behind City Motel as if it was an apparent drug overdose, but said that the coroner’s report stated the head injury was the cause of death.

Judge Steven Beathard told Milstead during his arraignment hearing that he faces a maximum possible sentence of 11 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and three years on the charge of tampering with evidence.

A “not guilty plea” was entered on the charges and based on Milstead’s affidavit, Beathard appointed Susan Wollscheid to serve as his counsel in the case.

Milstead is being held in the Fayette County Jail on a $100,000 cash/surety or $1,000 own-recognizance bond. A jury trial in the matter is scheduled to be held Feb. 27.

Milstead
http://www.recordherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2017/12/web1_MUGSHOTS_34448773.jpgMilstead

By Ashley Bunton

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Contact Ashley by telephone at (740) 313-0355 or connect on Twitter by searching Twitter.com for @ashbunton and send a message.

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