Feb. 14, 2011: River Falls downtown restaurant owner charged with reckless homicide

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Hardy White III, 42, owner of Bubba's Fried Chicken, 109 1/2 S. Main St., was charged Monday with two felonies in the Oct. 4 death of 25-year-old Jack Jenkins of River Falls.

The Pierce County district attorney filed charges of first degree reckless homicide and possession with intent to deliver narcotics against White.

White is scheduled to make an initial appearance in Pierce County Circuit Court March 14.

The homicide charge carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

An earlier autopsy found that Jenkins died of acute morphine toxicity.

The criminal complaint says White sold Jenkins liquid morphine on the night of Oct. 3 for $250. Jenkins was found dead of what at the time was believed to be a drug overdose at his cousin's apartment at 223 E. Maple St.

White, who denies the allegations, allegedly got the morphine from a prescription used by his mother last year. She eventually died from cancer.

The morphine was traced to a local pharmacy in Iowa where White's mother lived.

A prescription bottle with morphine residue was recovered and turned in to River Falls police several days after Jenkins' death.

The police investigation into the circumstances of that death went on for three months.

For more on this story, please see the Feb. 16 print edition of the River Falls Journal.

Tags: river falls, crime and courts, crime