Tragic Accident or Heedless Disregard For Risk? N.L. Hunting Death trial ends

Tragic accident or heedless disregard for risk? N.L. hunting death trial ends

at 19:03 on September 23, 2010, EDT.
Sue Bailey, The Canadian Press



GRAND FALLS-WINDSOR, N.L. - A "horrific constellation of unfortunate facts" led to the hunting "accident" that killed Mary Beth Harshbarger's husband, her defence lawyer said Thursday in closing arguments at the Pennsylvania woman's criminal trial.

After nine days of testimony that was by turns dramatic and emotional, the 45-year-old woman's judge-alone trial on one count of criminal negligence causing death wrapped up. Justice Richard LeBlanc of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador is expected to rule Oct. 1.

Crown attorney Karen O'Reilly said Harshbarger, an experienced hunter from rural Meshoppen, Pa., showed "heedless" disregard for the "huge risk" she created when she fired her rifle after sunset on Sept. 14, 2006.

Harshbarger has always said she fatally shot Mark Harshbarger, 42, after mistaking him for a bear near Buchans Junction, N.L.

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She told police it was "dusky" when she saw "a big black thing" and fired the rifle her husband had given her for Christmas. The single blast ripped through his abdomen.

"It's not enough to say: 'Oh! That's a bear. I'm going to shoot at it."

The accused knew her husband was in those woods, that it was possible he would be emerging soon from that very site, and that he was wearing dark clothing, the Crown lawyer said.

Six hours after shooting her husband, the accused agreed in a police interview that she's "a good shot" who hunted first with her father and then her husband.

Poor guy! He taught her too well. If it was truly an accident, I hope she doesn't get sent to prison. Any talk of reasons why she may have wanted to rid herself of her husband?