24-year-old charged with fentanyl murder by delivery in death of 16-year-old was free from jail on 5 bonds

HOUSTON - Some question if Omarion Bailey would have gotten higher bond amounts for a string of criminal charges 16-year-old Cooper Cullen Cash Root would likely be alive today. 

Back in 2018 a then 19-year-old Omarion Bailey was wanted for shooting a 7-year-old boy in a drive-by. "The reason for the dismissal is not for insufficient evidence or they didn't have probable cause the witnesses were gone," said Andy Kahn with Crime Stoppers.

Bailey added charge after charge to his criminal history in 2023.

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It began in February when Bailey was charged with DWI. "While on bond for DWI he was charged with assault with bodily injury, criminal mischief, retaliation and stalking," Kahan said.

"I haven't seen anything like this in my 27 years as a lawyer," said defense attorney Emily Detoto. Detoto reviewed the charging documents in Bailey's stalking case.

"This is not an unrequited Romeo and Juliet kind of thing," she said. "This is an allegedly dangerous human being writing these."

According to court documents, Bailey sent 182 text messages to his ex-girlfriend between 3 a.m. and 4:47 a.m. on August 21, 2023.

"You can't even show what he did on the news because it's that descriptive," said Kahan. The texts include," I'm putting you in the hospital on a stretcher."

"These messages were witnessed by the complainant's daughter. That makes it even more disturbing," Detoto said. 

"You have prior history of terroristic threat you have assaultive behavior, but he only had a $20,000 bond for that," Kahan said. Last December, Bailey was charged with possession of a controlled substance after allegedly selling fentanyl to undercover DPS special agents.

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263d District Court Judge Melissa Morris does nothing, "Does not increase his bond, doesn't revoke his bond, she leaves him on the same bond," said Detoto.

Last week, Bailey was charged with fentanyl murder by delivery in the death of 16-year-old Cooper Cullen Cash Root. He died on Sept. 15 of last year.

Two weeks later, Bailey got bond for the stalking charge. "I'll argue from here to eternity that if you had set a higher bond perhaps this young man would be alive," said Kahan.

Bailey remains jailed under a $250,000 bond.