WILMINGTON – The woman charged with Cody Hart’s death will have another pre-trial hearing at the end of the month.
DeLee R. Wampler, 53, of Wilmington had two hearings on Thursday, one of which was postponed.
Wampler is charged with five drug-related charges and three involuntary manslaughter charges.
The first hearing, a sentencing hearing for two counts of aggravated trafficking of drugs in the fourth degree, was held because of the second hearing.
Wampler’s second hearing was a pre-trial to address three counts of involuntary manslaughter in the first degree, one count of trafficking heroin in the second degree, one count of trafficking heroin in the fifth degree and one count corrupting another with drugs in the second degree.
Hart was pronounced dead April 9 at Clinton Memorial Hospital after using heroin for three hours. Hart was with Wampler and Daymon Haislip, 27, of Cincinnati, at a Michigan Avenue residence when he overdosed and stopped breathing, according to authorities.
Wampler and Haislip were indicted by a grand jury June 22.
Wampler pleaded guilty to the two counts of aggravated trafficking of drugs in the fourth degree. Originally she pleaded not guilty to the three counts of involuntary manslaughter in the first degree, one count of trafficking heroin in the second degree, one count of trafficking heroin in the fifth degree and one count corrupting another with drugs in the second degree. However, she changed her plea for those to guilty at Thursday’s hearing.
“By pleading guilty you will be relieving the state of the responsibility of proving your guilt at trial,” said Clinton County Court of Common Pleas Judge John W. “Tim” Rudduck. “A first-degree felony of involuntary manslaughter is one of the highest degree felonies that we have in this state.”
If convicted of any of the involuntary manslaughter charges, Rudduck said Wampler will go to jail for a minimum of three years. He said Wampler could serve up to 11 years in prison and could be fined $11,000.
After potentially serving time in jail, Wampler would not be done with the legal system, Rudduck said.
“You will be monitored for five years,” he said.
Wampler will be sentenced Aug. 25 at 11 a.m.
Even though Wampler has been in jail for about two months, she has not completely stopped trafficking drugs, according to police.
A jail incident report was filed with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office Aug. 4 stating Wampler gave her prescription medication to inmate Tasha Childers Aug. 3, causing Childers to have a reaction to the drugs.
The report states Childers was out in the recreation yard when the reaction happened and other inmates had to support Childers’ head so she would not hit the concrete.
Wampler was not criminally charged with the incident, instead being held accountable at the prison and being sanctioned by prison rules, said Sgt. Mike Wahl with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office.
Haislip, who entered a plea of not guilty, will have a pre-trial hearing Aug. 19 at 1:15 p.m.
