Lima man sentenced to 39 years to life for murder
May 19—LIMA — A Lima man convicted of murder in the Feb. 15, 2023, shooting death of Kirk Perine was sentenced Monday to 36 years to life behind bars.
An Allen County jury found Michael Oliphant guilty in Perine's death in April. The 59-year-old Perine was found by police inside a white Buick in the 100 block of North Rosedale Avenue on Feb. 15, 2023. He had suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. The fatal bullet had been fired from outside the vehicle and passed through the front passenger-side window, investigators said.
Oliphant, 23, of Lima, was also charged with felonious assault for firing a weapon in the direction of two employees of Feltz Chiropractic shortly before shooting Perine.
A Beretta 9mm pistol used in both shootings was found by police in an alley behind 211 N. Kenilworth Ave., near the murder scene, and was sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for analysis. A forensic scientist from that agency testified that DNA matching Oliphant's was found on the weapon. Oliphant had purchased the handgun earlier in the day at the former R-P Home & Harvest Store on Cable Road.
Relatives and friends of Perine spoke prior to sentencing and asked Judge Terri Kohlrieser to impose a harsh sentence.
"You are a monster," said Michelle Morrisey, a friend of Perine's, to Oliphant. "You took away a good man."
Jeff Perine said he and his brother were close, having visited many Major League ballparks. He, too, addressed Oliphant.
"I am going to enjoy every minute of my freedom, knowing that you're stuck in a prison cell," he said.
Lilliana Perine, the victim's widow, delivered an emotional statement in Spanish. An English version was then read to the court. It said, in part, that her husband was a "noble and hard-working person" while his killer was "an evil person." Speaking to the judge, the woman asked that Oliphant "not go free."
Oliphant addressed the court briefly and apologized "to the families I hurt." He said at the time of the shooting, he had stopped taking prescription medicines intended to address mental issues he was experiencing.
"It's my fault, but I stopped taking my meds because I was paranoid; I though doctors were poisoning my medications," Oliphant said. "I feel horrible for what I did. I deserve life (in prison). I take full responsibility for my actions."
Kohlrieser said it was clear to her that Oliphant did indeed suffer from a psychological disorder.
"There are some grounds to mitigate his conduct ... but not enough," she said.
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Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
No Supreme Court win, but Mexico pressures U.S. on southbound guns
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The uphill battle against the powerful gun lobby survived an appeals court challenge, but last week the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Mexico's lawsuit, ruling unanimously that federal law shields gunmakers from nearly all liability. Although the litigation stalled, advocates say the high-profile gambit did notch a significant achievement: Dramatizing the role of Made-in-U.S.A. arms in Mexico's daily drumbeat of assassinations, massacres and disappearances. 'Notwithstanding the Supreme Court ruling, Mexico's lawsuit has accomplished a great deal,' said Jonathan Lowy, president of Global Action on Gun Violence, a Washington-based advocacy group. 'It has put the issue of gun trafficking — and the industry's role in facilitating the gun pipeline — on the bilateral and international agenda,' said Lowy, who was co-counsel in Mexico's lawsuit. 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Miami Herald
9 hours ago
- Miami Herald
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Some began lining the boulevard with large cement bricks. One immigration agent was cut on his hand from a rock that sailed through his windshield, according to a social media post by U.S. Border Patrol chief Michael W. Banks. Federal officials struck an ominous tone. 'Multiple arrests have already been made for obstructing our operations,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on X. 'More are coming. We are pouring through the videos for more perpetrators. You bring chaos, and we'll bring handcuffs.' José Luis Solache Jr., the California Assembly member who represents the Paramount area that includes the Home Depot, said he was on the way to a community event when he saw Border Patrol cars exit the freeway. He decided to turn around. Solache said he arrived and began observing alongside other demonstrators in a peaceful effort when the agents started shooting off canisters in their direction, forcing him and others to run through the smoke. After identifying himself to agents, he tried to get information about what they were doing, but they would not answer his questions, he said. 'You see the community here, demonstrating that they don't want them here,' he said as flash-bangs went off nearby. 'Our hardworking communities are being targeted. These are hardworking families. These are not criminals. You're going to facilities where people are literally working.' Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Fox News
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Another Shocking Testimony from Diddy's Trial
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