Ohio Parents Who Publicly Mourned Newborn Daughter Admit to Manslaughter in Her Cocaine-Related dєatᩚh

An Ohio couple who shared emotional tributes to their newborn daughter after her dєatᩚh have admitted to involuntary manslaughter in connection with the eight-day-old infant’s dєatᩚh from cocaine toxicity.

Justin Soll, 32, and Shannon Wester, 29, lost their daughter, Emilia, in February 2026. According to court records and reporting by The Blade, both parents have since pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the case.

Emergency responders were called to the family’s home in Oregon, Ohio, at around 4 a.m. on February 22 after Soll reported that the baby was not breathing. He was instructed to perform CPR while help was on the way. Emilia was taken to hospital but died three days later.

The Lucas County Coroner’s Office later determined that the infant died from anoxic encephalopathy caused by cocaine toxicity. Investigators reported finding cocaine and drug paraphernalia in the basement bedroom where the couple and their daughter lived. Laboratory testing also detected a trace amount of cocaine on a pacifier recovered during the investigation.

Police records said the parents told investigators they had fed the baby roughly two hours before finding her unresponsive and had placed her back to sleep in the same bed they shared.

In the weeks following Emilia’s dєatᩚh, both parents posted tributes on social media expressing their grief. Soll shared photographs of the baby’s ashes, hospital keepsakes and a teddy bear made from her blanket. Wester also posted about missing her daughter and struggling with the loss.

Their social media posts did not mention the cocaine evidence later described by investigators.

The couple were indicted in July 2026 on charges that included involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and cocaine possession. Wester entered a guilty plea before Soll, who subsequently pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and a cocaine possession charge. Other charges are expected to be dismissed under the plea agreements.

Each parent faces up to 11 years in prison. Wester’s sentencing was scheduled for October 30, while Soll’s was set for November 4, according to The Blade.

The case has drawn attention to the circumstances surrounding Emilia’s dєatᩚh and the contrast between the parents’ public expressions of grief and the evidence uncovered during the investigation. Their sentences will be determined by the court.

Source: DAILYMAIL