Two booked for controlled substance homicide

WARDEN – Monday morning the Moses Lake Regional Tactical Response Team served a warrant to a residence outside of Warden in the 4600 block of Road U Southeast, according to a statement from the Moses Lake Police Department.  

The warrant was in connection to an investigation of the death of a 44-year-old Moses Lake man on Halloween.  

The team arrested Marla Ann Duplichan, 57, for controlled substance homicide and delivery of controlled substances. She was booked into Grant County Jail on those charges. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

Police recovered multiple illegal substances from Duplichan’s residence including 1.5 pounds of heroin, 7 ounces of fentanyl, 271 fentanyl pills, cocaine, methamphetamine and a pound of marijuana, according to the MLPD statement.   

Later Monday afternoon, MLPD patrol located Joshua Jenkins, 42, during a traffic stop. Jenkins was then arrested and booked into Grant County Jail for charges of controlled substance homicide, for the same 44-year-old Moses Lake resident. He was also booked for delivery of a controlled substance. 

Under Washington law, a person who unlawfully delivers a controlled substance to a person resulting in the death of the person who used the substance, such as in the case of an overdose, can be charged with controlled substance homicide, a Class B felony. As such, the maximum penalty under the law is ten years in prison or a fine of up to $20,000 or both. 

Both suspects were listed in the inmate roster for the Grant County Jail as of 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. 

MLPD received help from other agencies including Grant County Sheriff’s Office; Othello Police Department; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Customs and Border Protection.  

    Joshua Jenkins, 42, was arrested Monday during a traffic stop in connection with the death of a 44-year-old Moses Lake man on Halloween.