SOUTH PARIS — Deer hunter Robert Trundy pleaded not guilty Friday in the Oct. 28 shooting death of Karen Wrentzel on her property in Hebron.
Appearing in Oxford County Superior Court, Trundy, 38, of Hebron denied charges of manslaughter and failure to provide aid to a person and to report a hunting accident. He is scheduled to return to court March 9.
Trundy was indicted by the Oxford County grand jury on Dec. 15.
Wrentzel, 34, died on her property along Greenwood Mountain Road about 10:30 a.m. when she was shot by Trundy on opening day of deer hunting season for Maine residents, Game Warden Anthony Gray said in an affidavit.
Trundy said he could see “what he thought was the ‘ass of a deer’ with a tail, skinny legs and a possible glimpse of what he thought could have been part of a head or antler of a deer,” Gray wrote.
Under Maine law, a person is guilty of manslaughter when he or she acts recklessly or with criminal negligence and causes the death of another person. A conviction is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
Maine law requires a hunter who knows or “has reason to know” that he has caused injury to another person by a firearm, a bow and arrow or a crossbow while hunting to make himself known to the victim, render first aid and notify a game warden or other law enforcement officer as quickly as possible.
Failure to do so is a Class C felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Matthew Daigle can be contacted at:
mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net
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