Emotional bail hearing for Blaine man charged in drug overdose death

Minutes before his first court appearance Friday, Timothy Lamere sat alone in a room reading a document with the shocking details of the murder charge he now faces.

Life has changed dramatically for the 21-year-old, who a week ago was enjoying a party with friends at a Blaine home. He's now accused of buying and supplying the illegal drug that caused 11 partygoers to overdose and the death of college student and new father Trevor Robinson.

Lamere calmly answered a few questions by Anoka County District Judge Donald Venne, who agreed to the prosecution's request for $300,000 bail. As a deputy started to lead him back to jail after the five-minute hearing, Lamere sobbed uncontrollably.

Lamere is charged with felony third-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Robinson, whose funeral was held at an Arden Hills church Thursday. The court document said Lamere snorted a line of 2C-E, a synthetic hallucinogen he bought on the Internet. Robinson also snorted some of the drug, which turned him violent and stopped his breathing, the document said.

Friends drove Robinson to the hospital, where he was on life support before dying March 17. Ten others who overdosed from the same drug supplied by Lamere were hospitalized, including Lamere, authorities said.

Lamere was already on probation for a felony drug possession case when he was charged in Robinson's death Monday. A week before the incident, Lamere's probation had ended on a different felony drug possession case.

Jacob Fischmann, a student attorney from the county attorney public defenders' office, argued for a $75,000 bail for Lamere. The $300,000 bail later agreed upon by Venne includes a no-contact order with the Robinson family. As an alternative, Lamere could post a $100,000 bail, which involves random drug testing and a requirement for immediate entry into a chemical-dependency treatment program.

"He will go straight to a facility if that is what's best," said Fischmann. "He's not a violent person. He's never had any violence-related offenses."

In March, 2009, Lamere was charged with fifth-degree drug possession. He was arrested by Lino Lakes police when he was driving without headlights. When an officer searched his car, he found a small bag of dried mushrooms, the court document said. The mushrooms were tested and found to contain a hallucinogenic and traces of cocaine, the document said.

Lamere's father was "too emotionally distraught over all this" to attend the hearing, said Fischmann. Lamere's next court date is April 18.

Robinson died of cardiac arrest attributed to toxicity associated with the presence of drugs and no natural disease explained the death, according to a court document. Lamere was arrested less than a day after Robinson's death.

When police arrived in response to a 911 call about Robinson not breathing, they found several people suffering the effects of drug use. Lamere was found outside the party house in the 9500 block of NE. Monroe Street about 1 a.m. Two women hospitalized remained in critical condition for several days. The victims ranged in age from 16 to 21.

Robinson reacted to the 2C-E by punching walls, breaking items, staring and having dilated pupils and yelling, the document said. Although the drug is illegal, Lamere was able to buy it on the Internet, the document said.