- A 52-year-old hunter was charged with homicide months after shooting and killing a teenager in a state park in Pennsylvania.
- Prosecutors identified Kenneth Troy Heller as the hunter who shot the teenager while waiting for sunset with his girlfriend.
- Troy agreed to be held without bail until his April indictment, when he will enter into a plea agreement.
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A hunter in Pennsylvania was charged with murder after prosecutors said he left after shooting a teenager in a state park.
Teenager Jason Kutt, 18, was sitting in his car with his girlfriend at Nockamixon State Park when he was shot in October. They were waiting to watch the sunset, Bucks County district attorney Matt Weintraub said at a news conference.
His girlfriend heard the shot and saw Kutt fall. When she looked at the road, she saw a hunter in orange clothing looking in their direction, but he fled the scene.
Eight weeks later, prosecutors identified Kenneth Troy Heller, 52, as the sniper. He was accused of criminal homicide, recklessly endangering another person, possession of a crime instrument, possession of a bronze dagger and two violations of the hunting law – including failure to assist a wounded person.
Heller surrendered to the police and agreed to be detained without bail. He reached a preliminary agreement with prosecutors and after consultation with the Kutt family, which will be formalized during his April indictment, Weintraub said.
Weintraub said the court agreement allows Kutt’s family to change how their son died and “celebrate his life” as cases like this can drag on for years in the criminal justice system.
“By making a deal today, we can avoid all of that,” said Weintraub. “
Jason’s family learns exactly what happened to him, “he said.” They won’t like it, but it will have some purpose for what happened to Jason.
Weintraub noted that this is not the “perfect ending” for the case, because it would mean that Jason – a graduate of a local high school in 2020 – would be alive again.
“I don’t believe it was Mr. Heller’s intention to shoot to kill Jason Kutt,” said Weintraub. “He never met the man, they had no spirit, this was not a ‘Hey, I’m going to try and see what it’s like to be a murderer’ moment for Mr. Heller. He expressed remorse.”
Weintraub said he did not want to judge the case in October, but now that he knows the circumstances, he is comfortable with the fact that the charges presented are appropriate for Heller’s conduct.
“He is a hunter, he hit the target and made a terrible, terrible mistake,” he said.