Midland man faces up to life in prison for alleged heroin death

Murphy

By Allison Scarbrough. OCP Editor.

HART — A 29-year-old Midland man faces up to life in prison for a felony count of delivery of a controlled substance causing death.

It is alleged that Daniel Ryan Murphy delivered heroin to Jack Kinchen, 30, of Walkerville, who died Sept. 24, 2014 in Colfax Township, Oceana County Prosecutor Joe Bizon said.

Murphy, who is currently free on bond, was scheduled for a pretrial hearing in 27th Circuit Court Tuesday, May 5, but he was not required to appear now that his case is being scheduled for a three-day jury trial.

There is a similar case in which a person died from heroin in the City of Hart that is currently pending, Bizon said. “(Heroin) is a rising problem in Oceana County,” Bizon said. In his seven years as prosecutor, he had only one case involving a heroin-related death until last year when two people died.