20-05-2025
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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