Everett, Wash.
Published: Saturday, August 16, 2008

Skagit County teen hunter charged in Oso woman's shooting

The 14-year-old Concrete boy, who mistook her for a bear, has been charged with first-degree manslaughter in the hiker's death.

By Jackson Holtz
Herald Writer

 OSO -- A teenage hunter who fatally shot an Oso woman on a popular hiking trail Aug. 2 was charged Friday with first-degree manslaughter.

If convicted, the boy, 14, could face up to nine months in juvenile detention, prosecutors said.

The charge was filed in Skagit County Superior Court at 1:30 p.m., a spokeswoman for the county clerk said.

Earlier this week, Skagit County prosecutor Rich Weyrich said the teenage hunter acted recklessly when he mistook Pamela Almli, 54, for a bear.

Weyrich said the teen failed to follow guidelines in the state's hunting safety manual, especially being sure of a target and what lies beyond. According to charging documents, the boy only identified his target through his rifle's telescopic scope, not first through binoculars, as called for in the state hunting guide.

Also factoring into the decision were the foggy weather conditions that obscured the hunter's view and that Almli was dressed in a light-colored blue coat when she was shot on a hiking trail, Weyrich said.

Weyrich said it appears the killing wasn't intentional, which could have resulted in a murder charge. Instead, he said, the boy's actions appeared reckless, which provides legal grounds for a first-degree manslaughter charge.

Based on the boy's age and the other factors, it was most appropriate to handle the case in juvenile court, he said.

State Fish and Wildlife officials said they can't recall the last time a hiker has been killed by a hunter in Washington.

Almli was shot in the head as she bent over to put a jacket into her hiking partner's backpack. The Concrete boy was with his 16-year-old brother when he fired a .270-caliber rifle from about 120 yards away, above Almli.

The shooting's location, on a busy Sauk Mountain hiking trail, was a key factor in the charging decision, Weyrich said.



Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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