LARNED – On Tuesday afternoon in the Pawnee County District Court, James Allen Roe, 58, of Larned, waived his preliminary hearing and entered a “no contest” plea to involuntary manslaughter, a severity level 5 person felony. He was originally charged with one count of distribution of a controlled substance causing death, alleged to have occurred in Pawnee County on or about July 27, 2015.
The controlled substance alleged to have been distributed was a fentanyl transdermal patch. The charge stems from an ongoing investigation by the Larned Police Department and Coroner Dr. Lyle Noordhoek related to the accidental overdose death of Ryan J. Henderson. Henderson was found non-responsive at his residence in Larned the morning of July 28, 2015. He was 33 at the time of his death.
Roe was arrested by the Larned Police Department at his home on Jan. 30, 2018, without incident and is currently released on a supervised bond. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 25.