Man to spend 10 years in prison for 2021 murder

A man who was found guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the death of a man in March 2021 will be spending time in prison.

On Thursday, 29-year-old Michael Harlan was given a 10-year sentence for one count of third-degree murder, according to court documents, which go on to say he was allowed 42 days of credit.

A finding of fact and verdict filed on March 9, 2023, said Harlan was found guilty of both charges for a death that happened in Rogers on March 14, 2021.

A criminal complaint says police were called to a home on Main Street for a welfare check on a man who wasn’t responding to calls and messages from his family.

When officers breached the home, they found the man dead from what appeared to be a drug overdose. His death was later determined to be due to a mix of ethanol and fentanyl.

After searching the victim’s phone, they found he had gone to a location in St. Paul around 4 p.m. the day before and withdrew $200 in cash. Police add they found Harlan went to the same location as the victim, and also sent messages regarding selling “blues,” also known as oxycodone/Percocet, according to the complaint.

Harlan was arrested on Sept. 1, 2001, and police say he had several thousand dollars in cash on him at the time.

The document goes on to say Harlan admitted to giving the victim pills.