Oakley Mulkin was arraigned Wednesday in Potter County on allegations that he gave furanyl fentanyl to Jordan Whitsell in 2016, causing the man’s death.
Mulkin, 25, of Shinglehouse, was jailed in lieu of $50,000 on charges of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree misdemeanor; possession of a designer drug, a felony; and criminal use of a communication facility.
According to the criminal complaint in the case, Coudersport-based state police were called to 38 Hyde Road, Sharon Township, at 3:25 a.m. May 12, 2016, for a death investigation.
Jordan Matthew Whitsell, 28, had been found on the bathroom floor at his residence with a syringe next to him, along with a spoon and a bottle of peroxide. Police said the spoon tested positive for furanyl fentanyl, the records stated.
Police interviewed Whitsell’s wife, who said Mulkin had visited her house about 10:30 p.m. May 11, 2016. She said Mulkin had knocked on the door, but everyone was in bed. He let himself in to the house, and she briefly spoke to him. He asked her to get Jordan Whitsell.
She told police her husband had gone downstairs to talk to Mulkin, but never came back up. She said she woke up about 2 a.m. and found her husband facedown on the bathroom floor. She called 911, and attempted CPR, but was unable to revive him, court records read.
She also alleged to police that Mulkin was a known drug user, the records stated.
Police obtained a search warrant and found that Mulkin and Jordan Whitsell had exchanged Facebook messages about buying and trading controlled substances, the criminal complaint read.
Toxicology tests showed that “if the deceased had not ingested the furanyl fentanyl he would not have died,” the complaint stated.
A preliminary hearing in the manslaughter case is scheduled for 1 p.m. June 12 before District Judge Kari McCleaft in Shinglehouse.
Court records show that Mulkin was recently incarcerated in the State Correctional Institution at Rockview after pleading guilty in 2016 in Potter County Court to drug delivery allegations in two cases.
