Teen who killed Oso woman acted recklessly, prosecutor says

Published 10:56 am Tuesday, August 12, 2008

OSO – A teenage hunter acted recklessly when he fatally shot an Oso woman on a popular hiking trail Aug. 2, the Skagit County prosecutor said today.

Skagit County Prosecutor Rich Weyrich said he intends to file first-degree manslaughter charges in juvenile court against the 14-year-old boy who allegedly killed Pamela Almli, 54.

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 it. The boy apparently mistook Almli for a bear.

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

“One particular action doesn’t necessarily equate to recklessness,” the prosecutor said. “But when you put everything together, that may be reckless.”

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

The location of the shooting is a key factor, Weyrich said.

“If they had been wandering around out in the woods, it would be very different,” Weyrich said. “You have to consider it was on a very popular and well-used hiking trail that was marked as such.”

After the shooting, the boy was very upset and emotional, Weyrich said. The prosecutor said he did not know if the boy has offered an apology to Almli’s family.

The teen took a hunting class when he was 9 years old. If convicted he could face nine months in juvenile detention.

The prosecutor contacted Almli’s family before announcing his intention to file the charge, he said.

The Skagit County Sheriff’s Office referred the case to the prosecutors office after an investigation, Skagit County sheriff’s Chief Will Reichardt said.

State Fish &Wildlife officials said they plan to ask the legislature to reinstate a law that would require juvenile hunters to be accompanied by an adult.

Weyrich said he plans to file the charge Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.