Over the years, we have followed hunting accidents (here and here and here) — the subject of an earlier column on “buck fever.” We have a new and tragic such case in Virginia. Ferrum College senior Jessica Goode, 23, went out hiking with friends last week when Jason D. Cloutier, 31, mistook her for a deer. He shot and killed her in the chest with his .35-caliber, high-powered rifle. The bullet went through her chest and into the hand of her friend Regis Boudinot, 20.
Goode was studying the environmental science and loved the woods. She was wearing white at the time of the shooting. Cloutier’s rifle was equipped with a telescopic sight.
Cloutier is now charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless use of a firearm and trespass. The charges could bring a maximum of 12 years in jail and $5,000 in fines — if convicted. Rural juries are often very sympathetic to hunters in such cases.
Hunting season just began a few days earlier and each year in Franklin County 6,000 deer are killed.
These cases can produce troubling results such as the jury decision in favor of a hunter who shot a woman in her garden in Bangor, Maine. She was viewed as reckless for going out during deer season wearing white mittens and a dark coat, here.
Goode seems like a wonderful person who enjoyed the outdoors and had a promising life ahead of her. It is an unfathomable tragedy for this family and college.
For the full story, click here
AY,
A young girl, 15, was recently arrested in Missouri for killing another teen girl. Her reason? Her hobby was killing people and she just wanted to see what it was like. She is being tried as an adult, a rare time when I think that’s appropriate.
Truly evil people do exist. Some of them are even likable.
Thank you FFLEO. When I read this yesterday, I was saddened. I am still at a loss of what to say with this one except may they all find peace as this is a tragedy. Rather than react and want to take this mans life as well, I would want to know WHY? I just cannot fathom anyone killing another for fun. I realize we have a lot of sick people out there.
May the parents, relatives and friends find consolation in what ever brings rest to the mind. My heart goes out to them.
How on earth could he have mistaken this girl for a Deer?!
I think that maybe Byron may have a point, although I would not have worded it in quite the same way and it would need to be proved in court.
Thanks for the follow up FFLEO. The map does it for me.
Cloutier made a decision to leave his in laws property and continue hunting on the County land.
Having just picked up my oldest from Union Station, who is a senior at Knox college, she got the extra hug tonight. It’s tragic when the bright and shiny people as Ms. Goode appears to be, depart before they can leave their mark.
I am guessing this guy was hunting something other than deer.
Rcampbell, I am with you!
Anyone who tries to blame the victim for this wretched act(and oh yes, some will try) deserves to be be hunted down and shot.
I should have mentioned that the map reader must zoom in on the word Ferrum (the name of the college) and Route 1058 runs north/south, just west of (to the left of) 40 Franklin St.
Google Maps does not save the zoom level with the link. If you have ‘Google Earth’ that format works well.
After going to and studying all the info FFLEO posted, I must say there’s something muddled about this so-called accidental shooting.
Here is a link to Google Maps that illustrates the cul-de-sac at the end of State Route 1058 and the other cul-de-sac to the west about 400 meters distant. You will need to Zoom In for detail of the cul-de-sacs and to see how culturally developed this area is.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=36.913635,-80.171166&z=11&t=h&hl=en
Look at this map of the shooting site. No reasonable hunter would be hunting near the end of a cul-de-sac road with a high-powered rifle, especially one who knew this area well. He also would have known that he was way off the boundary of his family property.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/11/21/GR2009112100224.html?sid=ST2009112100226
Reply to rcampbell,
More trouble with *cars*? What a surprise Cars, cars, cars, cars, cars. Doesn’t really matter much how many or who dies needlessly as long as the small minded can have their big *cars* to play with.
________________
On the other hand, you could substitute knives, alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, ad infinitum…
Your views against guns are abjectly irrational. On day when the likes of Joe Arpaio are the only ones with guns, then you might understand the rational views of gun ownership–apart from valid recreational uses–although I strongly doubt that you ever will.
We read daily about abuse by law enforcement and I have worked with officers who should have never been given a firearm, but some who are still on duty. The military and LE must never be the only ones to have the right to bear arms.
If anything, the paranoia and wobbliness caused by marijuana should have helped prevent this, right? Unless it slipped his mind that he should be looking for deer.
Still, if you want to kill deer you should be doing it with your car like I did in Pennsylvania.
Excerpts from the linked main article:
_________________________________
“Toxicology reports are pending, and law enforcement officials said they might add charges as the investigation continues.
Public records show Cloutier has been arrested on felony marijuana charges..”
_________________________________
millsapian87,
Think, jury of his peers in the context of ‘Deliverance’ after reading in the main article that these are ‘country folk’. As with Claude Dallas—who killed 2 game wardens in cold blood and then put a temple shot in their brains to put them out of their misery as trappers often do with their quarry—juries of the country folk variety tend to be lenient on ‘mountain men’ as well as those who are of their same backwoods guild.
I read about this when it happened. Hopefully they ran a toxicological screen on this guy given the facts and his previous felony marijuana conviction. In my experience, there are as many intoxicated hunters out there as intoxicated drivers.
If anything, rural juries should be *less* sympathetic to idiots like this. There is no excuse for this type of accident, and the fact that he was both unlicensed and trespassing should piss off even the most lenient of jury members.
Oh my.
Throw the book at this idiot, just like you would a reckless driver. Guns are dangerous, they kill. Anyone that has a loaded gun in their hands should follow one simple rule “never point the gun at anything you’re not one hundred percent sure you want dead.”
Based on over 18 years of LE that involved game warden duties for at least 4 solid months of hunting seasons during each of those years, this shooter violated all of the fundamental hunting rules.
Excerpt from the linked article:
_________________________________
Quote:
Next to the county property, Cloutier’s in-laws own 78 acres of woods. Cloutier, officials say, does not have a hunting license. Nor can they find a record of his having taken a mandatory hunting safety course. But under Virginia law, he was exempt from both requirements as long as he stayed on his family’s property.
He didn’t, authorities say. “He was knowingly on property he did not have permission to be on,” said Martin, the investigator. The county does not allow hunting on its property.
When Cloutier heard the students approach a hollow in the woods not far from a paved cul de sac, he dropped to one knee and shot.”
__________________________________
More trouble with guns? What a surprise Guns, guns, guns, guns, guns. Doesn’t really matter much how many or who dies needlessly as long as the small minded can have their big guns to play with.
this guy is full of BS he was scoping her out and his rifle went off. He was checking out her “equipment” with his scope.
You shouldn’t be using a hunting rifle to indulge your voyeuristic tendencies. I suggest Regis’s hand was the first thing to be hit and that is why this cretin was watching through his scope.
What is the maximum he could get?