Saturday, February 19th, 2022
Celina man indicted in child's death
Child had meth in his system
By Leslie Gartrell
CELINA - A Celina man is charged with numerous offenses, including felony involuntary manslaughter, related to the death of a Montezuma toddler more than two years ago after a Mercer County Grand Jury indicted him on Thursday.
Brandon A. Edwards, 29, was indicted following the conclusion of the investigation into the death of 2-year-old Ezra G. Siegrist, according to a news release from Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey.
An autopsy conducted by the Montgomery County Coroner's Office determined Siegrist died of methamphetamine intoxication, and the death was ruled a homicide by Mercer County Coroner Dr. Timothy Heinrichs, according to the release.
Edwards is charged with a first-degree felony charge of involuntary manslaughter, a third-degree felony charge of involuntary manslaughter, a fifth-degree felony charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a second-degree felony charge of endangering children, a third-degree felony charge of endangering children, two first-degree misdemeanor charges of endangering children and a first-degree misdemeanor charge of domestic violence, according to the release.
Edwards was arrested Friday by sheriff's deputies and he is being held without bond at the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in Mercer County Common Pleas Court at 2 p.m. Tuesday via video.
Mercer County dispatch on the morning of Feb. 11, 2020, received a call that a young child was laying facedown and unresponsive in a home at 61 S. High St., Montezuma, according to the release. A family member first administered CPR and then deputies until EMS arrived, according to the release. Siegrist was transported to Mercer County Community Hospital in Coldwater where he later died.
Edwards reportedly was living at the residence at the time of Siegrist's death and was in a relationship with the child's mother, according to the release.
Mercer County detectives started an investigation into the death to determine how Siegrist ingested the methamphetamine, according to the release.
Detectives interviewed several people, some of whom were uncooperative, which slowed the investigation, Grey said in the release.
Detectives presented the completed investigation to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office for review. County prosecutor Matt Fox presented the case to the grand jury on Thursday.
