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Second defendant enters Alford Plea in overdose death
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Clutching pictures of her son and sobbing, Dawn Karlovec watched in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court as one of two people charged in the July overdose death of her son entered an Alford Plea.
Jesse Kellum, 28, of McCartney Road, entered the plea Monday before Judge Lou D’Apolito in the July 20 overdose death of Matthew Godfrey, 25, of Youngstown. Kellum entered his plea to charges of permitting drug abuse and involuntary manslaughter.
An Alford Plea means a defendant maintains his or her innocence but admits there is enough evidence that a jury could reasonably find guilt and convict.
Godfrey died in a home in the 2000 block of Mc- Cartney Road on the East side that Godfrey shared with Marisha Robinson, 27, who pleaded guilty to the same charges Friday.
Prosecutors are recommending probation and drug treatment for both. Kellum’s sentencing will follow a pre-sentence investigation. Robinson will be sentenced Jan. 19.
Assistant Prosecutor Ken Cardinal said under state law, Kellum and Robinson were responsible for Godfrey’s death because they lived in the house where Godfrey died and did drugs with him and allowed him to do drugs. Robinson’s grandfather owns the house.
After court, Karlovec said her son’s path to addiction started after he was treated with opiate-based painkillers for a high-school football injury he received while playing for Youngstown Christian School.
She said her son had been in trouble before, and she praised the Treatment Alternatives for Street Crime, or TASC, for the work it did with her son when he was sentenced to treatment and counseling with it.
Karlovec said her son was off drugs for almost a year when he took the dose that led to his death.
She said her son tried to share his experiences with others so they would not make the same mistakes. He got a degree in criminal justice from Youngstown State University while he was addicted. It was not until after he graduated he confided in her that he needed help, Karlovec said.
She said because of his treatment, his career path in law enforcement was something he would not be able to fulfill.
“He gave up a lot,” Karlovec said. “It was very hard on him.”
Karlovec said her son remained a compassionate person up until his death. She said he took care of her when she was ill.
“I’m not ashamed of what happened to my son,” Karlovec said. “He was always very kind and considerate.”
She said she plans to attend the sentencing for both Robinson and Kellum.