Man admits to shooting woman, 55, in accident
Sara Ganim
A Boalsburg man has admitted to mistakenly shooting a woman while hunting for turkey in May. Donald D. Lansberry pleaded guilty to both charges brought against him after the hunting accident and is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
The state Game Commission said Lansberry mistook 55-year-old Elizabeth Strickler for a turkey when he failed to identify his target before shooting his rifle and didn’t help the woman after hearing her screams.
In June, the Game Commission charged Lansberry, 53, with two misdemeanors, saying he violated a basic rule of hunting by not identifying his target, and didn’t immediately render aid after the accident.
It happened around 6:45 a.m. May 13 on wooded land owned by Biddle Farm that borders the Tussey Mountain Ski Area in Harris Township. Lansberry told police he saw something blue moving through the brush “like a turkey would,” and fired his shot. Lansberry said he heard screaming, but “didn’t know” why he didn’t go to help, court papers say.
The subhead in the print edition of the paper made it an even better story: "Hunter mistook victim for turkey, didn't render aid."
I thought of you when I saw this story! I was surprised you didn't blog about the CDT story a few weeks earlier about the guy who shot his girlfriend because he mistook her for a deer. But mistaking someone for a turkey is even wilder.
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