Michael Oliphant, 21, made a brief appearance Friday in Lima Municipal Court, where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing and agreed to have his murder case bound over to Allen County Common Pleas Court.
J Swygart | The Lima News
LIMA — A man charged with murder in the Feb. 15 shooting death of a man in Lima saw his case bound over to Allen County Common Pleas Court for consideration by a grand jury on Friday.
Lima Municipal Court Magistrate John Payne ordered Michael Oliphant, 21, of Lima, to remain in the Allen County jail under a $1 million bond until such time as the case is heard in common pleas court.
Oliphant made an appearance in Lima Municipal Court Friday afternoon for a probable cause hearing surrounding his alleged role in the shooting death earlier this month of 59-year-old Kirk Perine.
Allen County Prosecuting Attorney Destiny Caldwell called Lima Police Detective Matt Boss as her only witness during the hearing. Boss said he was listening to police radio traffic on the evening of Feb. 15 when he heard a “shots fired” call go out at Feltz Chiropractic on Allentown Road. Boss said he responded to the scene and learned from witnesses that a Black man wearing red clothing had discharged a firearm in the direction of employees in the parking lot of the chiropractic office before running eastbound through a nearby alley.
Witnesses told police the man then made contact with Perine and got into a vehicle with the victim. Another witness said the man, identified as Oliphant, then exited the vehicle — which was parked in the middle of North Rosedale Avenue — and fired one bullet through the vehicle’s windshield.
Perine was found deceased inside the auto as a result of a single gunshot wound, Boss said. Oliphant was identified as the principal suspect, based on witness descriptions.
Boss said the suspected murder weapon was found “100 feet from where officers apprehended Oliphant.” The detective said the suspect had purchased the gun just 30 to 40 minutes prior to the shooting.
The detective also testified that Oliphant had made “unsolicited statements” to arresting officers during which he said he was sorry and believed he had shot two people.
Allen County Public Defender Kenneth Sturgill said Boss’ testimony was little more than “second-hand information” and did not prove that Oliphant “purposely” committed the murder. Payne nonetheless ruled the state had established probable cause the Oliphant had committed the crimes with which he was charged.
