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The Plains Man Pleads Innocence In Heroin OD Death
By: Susan Tebben
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A man from The Plains accused of helping his girlfriend take heroin, leading to her death, appeared in court on charges of involuntary manslaughter.
Terry R. Cullison, 54, was arrested on Wednesday after being indicted on one count of involuntary manslaughter, a third-degree felony. He appeared in Athens County Common Pleas Court on Thursday, where prosecution asked for a bond of $25,000. Assistant Prosecutor Meg Saunders asked that Cullison not be allowed to pay 10 percent of the bond for release from jail.
Cullison is charged in the death of his girlfriend, Pamela Seeds, who died of an heroin overdose, an autopsy report stated.
The case was originally a tampering with evidence case when it began, in which Cullison was accused of erasing information from a cell phone. But after the case was referred by the Athens County Sheriff’s Office to the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office, investigators found reason to charge Cullison in the death.
Saunders said Cullison, who is currently on probation, had allowed drug use to happen within his residence, and helped Seeds take heroin on multiple occasions, including on the day she died.
“Mr. Cullison did shoot her up himself on the date of her death, however she did overdose (from a separate dose),” Saunders said.
McCarthy said he was “not convinced (Cullison is) not a flight risk,” and set bond as recommended by the prosecution.
Final pre-trial is scheduled for May 30, and a jury trial is scheduled for July 11.