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PA: Hunting death a terrible accident
DA: Hunting death a terrible accident
12/22/2010
The man who said he accidentally shot and killed his best friend while
hunting went before a judge Wednesday.
It was an emotional day in the courtroom as the man who is charged with
killing his best friend listened to testimony from that tragic day.
Kenneth Mutzabaugh, 51, of Duncannon was in court for his preliminary
hearing. He said he accidentally mistook his best friend, 53-year-old Hugh
McChord, of Linglestown, for a turkey while they were out hunting in
November. Mutzabaugh is facing two charges, including killing or injuring a
human while hunting and a firearms crime.
On Wednesday, both the district attorney and the defense acknowledged
that this was a terrible accident.
"There's no evidence to suggest that he did this with any kind of
coldness of heart or anything like that. It was a very unfortunate
situation. It's a reckless situation, certainly not intentional or we would
have charged other crimes if we thought he intended to kill," said Charles
Chenot, the Perry County district attorney.
"He's been devastated. It's ruined his holiday season. It's potentially
and probably ruined his life," said Keith Kendall, Mutzabaugh's attorney.
If Mutzabaugh is found guilty, he could spend some time behind bars. The
district attorney did not want to discuss how much time they would be
seeking.
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