Leniency sought in daughter’s overdose death
STATE COLLEGE (AP) – The parents of a woman who died of a heroin overdose earlier this year are seeking leniency for a man convicted of having supplied the drugs.
The Centre Daily Times reports Ken and Bonnie Kline Smeltzer, who are both pastors, want something good to come out of the January death of their 21-year-old daughter, Elizabeth.
They are asking Centre County prosecutors and a judge to emphasize treatment and recovery support for 28-year-old Ryan Kemp, who will be sentenced Monday on convictions of drug possession and drug delivery resulting in death.
District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller calls the Kline Smeltzers’ intentions “admirable.” She said her office seeks the views of victims and relatives but must also consider other factors including the law and sentencing guidelines.