Sentenced: WV Hunter Shot Boy 'After Mistaking Him For A Wild Turkey’

[Sugar Cookie]

A former U.S. Marine pleaded guilty Friday afternoon to reckless manslaughter in the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy during a fatal hunting trip.

Joshua Stewart Burks, a 37-year-old amputee, teacher and coach in south Alabama, was charged with reckless manslaughter in the 2020 death of Troy Ellis of Trussville.

The trial against Burks began Monday before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Clyde Jones. The jury began deliberations Thursday afternoon following 2 ½ days of testimony.

The jury on Friday indicated they were struggling to reach a consensus as to Burks’ guilt or innocence. They had the choice to consider the charges of reckless manslaughter, a felony, or criminally-negligent homicide, a misdemeanor.

Burks pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter. In return, he received a 15-year sentence with six months to serve in the Jefferson County Jail, followed by three years of probation.

Burks, in open court, addressed Troy’s family, which included the boy’s father, Obed Ellis, who was also injured in the shooting and gave emotional testimony earlier in the week about the events of the day.

Burks, while issuing his plea, looked at Ellis and said he hoped one day the family would be able to forgive him.

“You are forgiven,’’ Ellis told Burks. Observers described an tearful courtroom following the exchange.

“It was very powerful,’’ said Jefferson County Assistant District Attorney Misty Reynolds who prosecuted the case with ADA Deborah Danneman.

“It is a good resolution,’’ Reynolds said. “It took a while to get there but the family got to tell their story.”

“I think the truth came out,’’ she said. “Ultimately for the family it was about him admitting responsibility.”

‘You are forgiven’: Disabled marine pleads guilty to Alabama boy’s shooting death during ill-fated turkey hunt

A former U.S. Marine pleaded guilty Friday afternoon to reckless manslaughter in the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy during a fatal hunting trip. When it became clear that the jury might be deadlocked, prosecutors and defense attorneys began to negotiate a plea.

www.al.com

 

[thuumpr]

Wow, this really went off the rails somewhere. It started off with a 7yo victim of a hunting accident in WV and somehow ended up about an 11yo victim in AL.

Tracked him for 4 years?

 

[CRWX]

Tracked him for 4 years?

Doubtful, although the names of the victim(s) and shooter referenced in the headline don't appear to have been released.

I may be wrong but it looks to me like this thread went to shit around post number 20. One of those shoot-from-the-hip updates we're all accustomed to, which consist of a poorly verified or entirely unverified victim photo, lifted from un-savvy social media users in the victim's family.

In this case, a picture of an older kid, shot by a different careless hunter, in a different state.

 

[thuumpr]

Doubtful, although the names of the victim(s) and shooter referenced in the headline don't appear to have been released.

I may be wrong but it looks to me like this thread went to shit around post number 20. One of those shoot-from-the-hip updates we're all accustomed to, which consist of a poorly verified or entirely unverified victim photo, lifted from un-savvy social media users in the victim's family.

In this case, a picture of an older kid, shot by a different careless hunter, in a different state.

Too funny.
I realized the story has been blended.
Question was rhetorical.

 

[CRWX]

Too funny.
I realized the story has been blended.
Question was rhetorical.

My bad I suppose. I didn't realize the stories had been blended, a little slow I guess.

I was trying to connect the ends of this thread for an embarrassing amount of time before just accepting it was broken.

 

[thuumpr]

My bad I suppose. I didn't realize the stories had been blended, a little slow I guess.

I was trying to connect the ends of this thread for an embarrassing amount of time before just accepting it was broken.

Me too. No problem. You just pointed out the problems with the story.
I found first, second reads were going to give me a headache if I spent too much time trying to make the story work.