Moberly man pleads guilty to manslaughter in overdose death, sentenced to 6 years in prison
HUNTSVILLE, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Moberly man who was charged with murder in relation to a July 2023 overdose death pleaded guilty to a lesser charge on Wednesday.
Michael Graves, 32, pleaded guilty to second-degree involuntary manslaughter and delivery of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to six years in prison. Graves is currently being held at the Randolph County Jail. He was previously charged with second-degree murder and delivery of a controlled substance.
According to previous reporting, Graves was accused of giving fentanyl to someone who died from an overdose.
Court documents in previous reporting state that Moberly police were called to a residence on July 25, 2023, for a call about a dead man in the living room of the home.
Court documents also say that the victim’s bank records indicate that 27 transactions – ranging from $5-$230 – were made with the application Cash App. The statements says payments were made to Graves between May 12-July 21. On July 17, Graves had apparently sent a video to the victim on Snapchat that showed a plastic bag containing a white, powdery substance, the probable cause statement says.
The statement also says that Graves and the victim had a conversation on Snapchat on July 22, 2023, which appeared to show the two setting up a drug deal.
