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Horse shooter
found not guilty
By Charlie Spiering
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
James William Snyder of Arlington, VA was found not guilty to charges of reckless handling of a firearm after a stray bullet from his rifle struck and killed an area horse.
During Tuesday’s district court hearing, Snyder accepted all of the evidence that was brought against him by Prosecuting Attorney Peter Luke. “As a hunter, a responsibility exists to know where each bullet is going to go,” said Luke.
Reckless handling of a firearm is a class one misdemeanor and carries a maximum 12 months in prison and/or a $2,500 fine.
Substitute Judge John D. Primeau found Snyder not guilty saying that he could not convict him beyond reasonable doubt.
The horse shooting occurred in December of2005 as Snyder was hunting on land owned by Lucky McCoy near Fullclip Farm which is owned by Peter Hitchen. Snyder shot at some deer in the wooded property across from the Thornton River where Hitchen’s prized horse, Hasty Hobo was pastured.
The horse was several hundred yards away from Snyder, who said that he was unaware of the incident. The shooting remained a mystery for months, as Sheriff’s investigators contacted area landowners, believing that the death of the horse might have been the result of a hunting accident. In May of 2006, forensic tests revealed that the bullet that had killed the horse came from Snyder’s rifle. While Snyder won acquittal from Judge Primeau, there is a civil case against him filed by Hitchen, pending in the circuit court.
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