A hunter was arrested for the fatal shooting of Pennsylvania teenager Jason Albert Kutt following a two-month-long police investigation, according to a Bucks County District Attorney’s office press release Wednesday.
The hunter, 52-year-old Kenneth Troy Heller from Warminster Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was arrested after surrendering to police. He was identified as the shooter after investigators discovered that his vehicle was one of three present at the site of the shooting, according to the press release.
Just now: District Attorney Matt Weintraub announces homicide charge against Kenneth Troy Heller, 52, of Warminster, in the shooting death of 18-year-old Jason Kutt.
— Bucks County District Attorney’s Office (@BucksDa) December 30, 2020
Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub announced the arrest and arraignment of Heller at a Wednesday press conference. Heller agreed to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges, including criminal homicide, possession of an instrument of crime and several hunting violations.
“Clearly this isn’t a perfect ending,” Weintraub said. “Perfect would mean we have Jason back. But that’s just not how real life works, that’s not how criminal justice works, so this isn’t even really a happy ending, but it is a fair and a just and a final ending.” (RELATED: Local Costco ‘Superspreader’ Linked To At Least 145 Infections, Officials Say)
A Dec. 10 police search of Heller’s home and vehicle found a .17-caliber Marlin rifle, ammunition and an orange hunting vest, according to the press release.
Heller admitted to police Tuesday that on Oct. 24 he had fired his rifle from a gate located at the Old Ridge Road access to the Nockamixon State Park and that his shot struck Kutt, who was sitting on the edge of Lake Nockamixon with his girlfriend viewing the sunset, in the back of his head, per the press release.
Heller is scheduled for his next arraignment and court hearing in April, per the release.