Latest news with #Perine
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
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. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Jury finds Oliphant guilty of murder
Apr. 11—LIMA — Jurors who spent a long week in an Allen County courtroom took a relatively short amount of time deliberating Friday evening before finding Michael Oliphant guilty of murder in the Feb. 15, 2023, shooting death of Kirk Perine. Guilty verdicts were returned at 8:30 p.m. Friday, three hours after deliberations began, on two charges of murder and two counts of felonious assault. Jurors got a late start deliberating Friday after a morning that included a rebuttal witness from the state and an extended conversation that ultimately led to the removal of one juror from the panel. Oliphant, 23, of Lima, was charged with murder in connection with Perine's death and also faced charges of felonious assault for allegedly firing a weapon in the direction of two employees of Feltz Chiropractic that same afternoon. Firearm specifications were attached to all four counts. A Beretta 9mm pistol said to have been 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 four separate areas of the weapon. The 59-year-old Perine was found by police inside a white Buick in the 100 block of North Rosedale Avenue. 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. Sentencing will be held at a later date. On Thursday, jurors watched video of an interview with the Lima man while he was in custody at the Lima Police Department on the evening of the shooting. When advised by LPD Detective Matt Boss that he was under arrest on a charge of murder, Oliphant appeared stunned. "I killed someone? Who?" he asked emphatically. "I didn't mean to kill anyone." Insanity defense Attorneys Steve Chamberlain and Ken Sturgill from the Allen County Public Defenders Office early in the case had filed a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity on behalf of their client. By law that plea requires that evidence be presented by the defense that proves Oliphant was unable to distinguish right from wrong at the time of the offense. The defense called just one witness in its portion of the case. Dr. Bob Stinson, a licensed psychologist who did an extensive review of Oliphant's mental health history, cited a diagnosis from doctors at Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center in May 2020 and again in December of 2022 — two months before the death of Perine — that said Oliphant suffered from paranoia and bipolar disorder and was exhibiting psychotic behavior and was "completely unstable and grossly psychotic." That convinced Stinson that Oliphant was legally insane at the time of the shootings. He said Dr. Massimo DeMarchis, who performed an initial psychological evaluation of the defendant at the request of the court, wrote that he found no evidence that Oliphant had a mental defect at the time of the incident. "That's just wrong," Stinson said. "There were three years of evidence." DeMarchis supported his findings during testimony Friday. He said Oliphant, during an evaluation at the Forensic Psychiatry Center of Western Ohio in Dayton, claimed to have been "hearing voices" and believed he was being pursued by "shadowy demonic figures" on the afternoon in question. DeMarchis said he believed those stories to be "fabricated and untrue." His formal findings included an opinion that "despite suffering from severe mental health disease," Oliphant did "understand the wrongfulness of his actions" on Feb. 15, 2023. Juror excused An alternate juror was summoned into action Friday after Judge Terri Kohlrieser dismissed one male jury member from the panel prior to closing arguments. An issue arose Thursday concerning a juror who had contact outside the courtroom with members of the defendant's family on successive days. The male juror — the lone person of color on the panel — was seen on court security video approaching Oliphant's father and sister during breaks in the trial. Questioned by the judge, the man said he was merely asking the two individuals for cigarettes, a claim disputed by prosecutors. Prosecutor Destiny Caldwell asked Kohlrieser to remove the man from the jury, based on his acceptance of "gifts" from people he knew to be family members of the defendant. Chamberlain objected and asked Kohlrieser to deny the motion. The judge allowed the jurist to remain seated throughout the day on Thursday. Kohlrieser on Friday said she had researched the matter overnight but allowed lawyers to make additional comments. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Kyle Thines repeated the state's assertion that the juror had compromised his integrity and reliability by reaching out to known members of the defendant's family. "The state has grave concerns about his fairness and impartiality ... and feels this juror should be removed," Thines said. Chamberlain argued there was no evidence of misconduct by the juror, only an unfounded suspicion by the state that additional conversation had taken place. "And frankly the belief of the state doesn't hold much weight," he said. Kohlrieser disagreed, saying the juror had demonstrated he was "no longer able to perform his duties." Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Jury deliberations ongoing in Lima murder trial
Apr. 11—LIMA — Jury deliberations in the case of Michael Oliphant, charged with murder in the Feb. 25, 2023, shooting death of Kirk Perine, got a late start Friday after a morning that included a rebuttal witness from the state and an extended conversation that ultimately led to the removal of one juror from the panel. Following closing arguments from attorneys and instructions from Judge Terri Kohlrieser, the jury did not receive the case until approximately 5:30 p.m. Friday. No verdict had been reached when The Lima News went to press. Oliphant, 23, of Lima, is charged with murder in connection to Perine's death. He also faces charges of felonious assault for allegedly firing a weapon in the direction of two employees of Feltz Chiropractic that same afternoon. The bulk of testimony and evidence presented during the five-day trial pointed to Oliphant as the likely shooter, both in Perine's death and at the chiropractic office shortly prior to that. The 59-year-old Perine was found by police inside a white Buick in the 100 block of North Rosedale Avenue. 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. A Beretta 9mm pistol said to have been used in both shootings was found by police in an alley behind 211 N. Kenilworth Ave., near the murder scene, and was sent to to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for analysis. A forensic scientist from that agency testified that DNA matching Oliphant's was found on four separate areas of the weapon. On Thursday jurors watched video of an interview with the Lima man while he was in custody at the Lima Police Department on the evening of the shooting. When advised by LPD Detective Matt Boss that he was under arrest on a charge of murder, Oliphant appeared stunned. "I killed someone? Who?" he asked emphatically. "I didn't mean to kill anyone." Insanity defense Attorneys Steve Chamberlain and Ken Sturgill from the Allen County Public Defenders Office early in the case had filed a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity on behalf of their client. By law that plea requires that evidence be presented by the defense that proves Oliphant was unable to distinguish right from wrong at the time of the offense. The defense called just one witness in their portion of the case. Dr. Bob Stinson, a licensed psychologist who did an extensive review of Oliphant's mental health history, cited a diagnosis from doctors at Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center in May 2020 and again in December of 2022 — two months before the death of Perine — that said Oliphant suffered from paranoia and bipolar disorder and was exhibiting psychotic behavior and was "completely unstable and grossly psychotic." That convinced Stinson that Oliphant was legally insane at the time of the shootings. He said Dr. Massimo DeMarchis, who performed an initial psychological evaluation of the defendant at the request of the court, wrote that he found no evidence that Michael Oliphant had a mental defect at the time of the incident. "That's just wrong," Stinson said. "There were three years of evidence." DeMarchis supported his findings during testimony Friday. He said Oliphant, during an evaluation at the Forensic Psychiatry Center of Western Ohio in Dayton, claimed to have been "hearing voices" and believed he was being pursued by "shadowy demonic figures" on the afternoon in question. DeMarchis said he believed those stories to be "fabricated and untrue." His formal findings included an opinion that "despite suffering from severe mental health disease," Oliphant did understand the wrongfulness of his actions" on Feb. 15, 2023. Juror excused An alternate juror was summoned into action Friday after Judge Terri Kohlrieser dismissed one male jury member from the panel prior to closing arguments. An issue arose Thursday concerning a juror who had contact outside the courtroom with members of the defendant's family on successive days. The male juror — the lone person of color on the panel — was seen on court security video approaching Oliphant's father and sister during breaks in the trial. Questioned by the judge, the man said he was merely asking the two individuals for cigarettes, a claim disputed by prosecutors. Prosecutor Destiny Caldwell asked Kohlrieser to remove the man from the jury, based on his acceptance of "gifts" from people he knew to be family members of the defendant. Chamberlain objected and asked Kohlrieser to deny the motion. The judge allowed the jurist to remain seated throughout the day on Thursday. Kohlrieser on Friday said she had researched the matter overnight but allowed lawyers to make additional comments. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Kyle Thines repeated the state's assertion that the juror had compromised his integrity and reliability by reaching out to known members of the defendant's family. "The state has grave concerns about his fairness and impartiality ... and feels this juror should be removed," Thines said. Chamberlain argued there was no evidence of misconduct by the juror, only an unfounded suspicion by the state that additional conversation had taken place. "And frankly the belief of the state doesn't hold much weight," he said. Kohlrieser disagreed, saying the juror had demonstrated he was "no longer able to perform his duties." Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
More testimomy, evidence links suspect to Lima murder
Apr. 9—LIMA — The state of Ohio neared the conclusion of its case against murder suspect Michael Oliphant on Wednesday in Allen County Common Pleas Court through direct testimony, video and physical exhibits related to events leading up to and following the Feb. 15, 2023, shooting death of Kirk Perine. Oliphant, 23, of Lima, is charged with murder in connection to Perine's death and also faces charges of felonious assault for allegedly firing a weapon in the direction of two employees of Feltz Chiropractic that same afternoon. The 59-year-old Perine was found by police inside a white Buick in the 100 block of North Rosedale Avenue. 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. Wednesday's opening testimony came from Mike Carman, an identification officer with the Lima Police Department. He told jurors he collected evidence in an alley behind 211 N. Kenilworth Ave., a location where LPD officers subdued Oliphant as he reportedly fled the scene of Perine's shooting death on North Rosedale Avenue. Carman said a 9mm Beretta pistol, a spent shell casing, a gun magazine containing seven live rounds of ammunition and other items were found in the alley. Jurors had the opportunity to view the alleged murder weapon. With LPD Detective Matt Woodworth on the witness stand, jurors watched a video from the former R-P Home & Harvest Store on Cable Road which showed Oliphant purchasing a handgun at approximately 5 p.m. Feb. 15, 2023. Allen County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Kyle Thines displayed for jurors a copy of the federal firearm transaction records that Oliphant had signed that day. Receipts from the store indicate he paid $399.99 in cash for the weapon. Prosecutors claim Oliphant discharged that same firearm a short time later at the chiropractic office and then again on Rosedale Avenue to shoot Perine. Lucas County Deputy Coroner Dr. Dwayne Wolf performed the autopsy on Perine. She said the man died as the result of a gunshot wound to the upper-right chest area. The bullet passed through the victim's clavicle and carotid artery and was lodged in the right shoulder area, the doctor said. Jurors viewed autopsy photos during Wolf's time on the witness stand, while Oliphant buried his head in his hands during the display of the photos. Emily Feldenkris, a forensic scientist with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, testified that DNA samples were taken from five areas of the gun allegedly used in the shooting for analysis. She said four spots on the gun — the trigger guard, grip, slide and buttons — showed Oliphant was the "one major contributor" of DNA left behind on the weapon. The state is expected to wrap up its portion of the case on Thursday. It is not clear whether the defense will call any witnesses. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Jurors watch murder suspect's meltdown on video
Apr. 8—LIMA — Jurors in the murder trial of Michael Oliphant, charged with murder in the shooting death of Kirk Perine more than two years ago, on Tuesday viewed videos in which the Lima man made a string of unsolicited and seemingly incriminating statements surrounding his actions leading up to the discovery of Perine's body. A string of officers from the Lima Police Department took the witness stand during Tuesday's portion of the trial. Jurors in viewed body camera and cruiser camera footage captured by several of those officers, but none appeared more damning than video from the body camera of Patrolman Bryce Bedwell. Bedwell had escorted Oliphant to the Lima Police Department following his arrest as a suspect in two separate shootings on the afternoon of Feb. 15, 2023. While placed in a holding cell at the police station, video captured the suspect having a meltdown of sorts. "I think I killed an innocent," Oliphant said to no one in particular. "I didn't mean to. I was going to shoot in the air. God will never forgive me if I killed someone. I made a mistake." Jurors earlier heard similar comments made by Oliphant that were captured on the body camera of former LPD police officer Logan Mault. On that recording, captured as Oliphant was being subdued following a brief foot chase that ended on Cole Street, he is heard telling officers, "Don't shoot. I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I think I hit two people; I don't know. I hope I didn't hit nobody." Oliphant, 23, of Lima, is facing two counts of murder and two counts of felonious assault in connection with Perine's death on Rosedale Avenue on Feb. 15, 2023. The 59-year-old Perine was found by police inside a white Buick in the 100 block of North Rosedale Avenue. He had suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. The felonious assault charges stem from shots Oliphant allegedly fired that same day in the direction of two employees at Feltz Chiropractic Office, 1517 Allentown Road. Sgt. Darien Gaukin, an LPD patrolman at the time, was among the first law enforcement officer to arrive on North Rosedale Avenue that afternoon in response to a report of shots fired. He told jurors that upon his arrival he saw a white Buick in the street and a small crowd gathered. The windows of the vehicle were locked, Gaukin said, but he and another officer broke the windows and found Perine's body inside. A dog was seated on the man's lap, the patrolman said. Medical aid was provided but Perine was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics with the Lima Fire Department. Video from Gaukin's body camera was played for jurors which showed Perine slumped inside the vehicle. Patrolman Nevan Stolly was among other officers to responded to the call for service that day. He assisted in the apprehension of Oliphant on Cole Street near Oakland Parkway. Stolly testified he was responding to the shots fired call when he saw a male running. Stolly said he gave chase, along with other officers, and subdued Oliphant after the suspect stumbled and fell. The suspect was not armed but told officers a firearm could be found in a nearby alley. Testimony in the trial will continue Wednesday morning. The start of Michael Oliphant's trial was delayed briefly Tuesday morning when Judge Terri Kohlrieser cleared the courtroom to confer privately with attorneys and other principals in the case. Kohlrieser said it had come to the court's attention that a "security issue" had risen overnight with one of the jurors on the case. Kohlrieser subsequently issued the following statement: "The court would advise that no one should attempt to contact any juror in an active case and that such contact could be punishable by law." Featured Local Savings
