A man who grew up in Jackman was shot to death in Florida two weeks ago, and the man accused of killing him told police they were arguing about a barking dog.
Family and friends are mourning the death of Dana A. Mulhall, 52, who graduated from Forest Hills Consolidated School in 1977. His neighbor in Florida, 65-year-old Paul Miller, of Flagler Beach, faces one charge of second degree murder in the March 14 shooting.
On Monday, Mulhall’s mother, Angela Mulhall, 75, of Moose River Plantation, spoke about the loss of her son, who ran his own landscaping business in Florida and called the mayor of Flagler Beach a friend.
“I don’t know how we’ve survived going through this on a daily basis. I don’t know where we find the strength, but we always do, somewhere, somehow,” she said.
Dan Cody, police chief of the Flagler Beach Police Department, said Monday in a phone interview that Miller gave the following account of the incident: He was sitting on his porch when Mulhall came home and complained about Miller’s barking dog. Miller went inside, got his 9 mm gun and stuck it in his pocket.
Then Miller walked to the approximately three-foot-high fence between them, where they argued. Miller told police that Mulhall was threatening him and made a movement as if he had a weapon.
“Mr. Miller felt like he had a weapon from the gestures he was making, and he shot him at that time,” Cody said.
Miller fired three shots— to Mulhall’s chest and legs. When Mulhall turned to run, Miller shot him twice on the back of his body, Cody said, though he didn’t know precisely where. Mulhall died at the scene and police did not find a weapon on him.