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Mitsuhide Akechi
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Woman who shot dead her husband on hunting trip thinking he was a bear cleared
An American woman who shot dead her husband after mistaking him for a bear during a hunting trip in Canada has been found not guilty of criminal negligence.
Published: 6:35PM BST 01 Oct 2010
Mary Beth Harshbarger could have faced a life sentence in prison Photo: AP
Mary Beth Harshbarger had claimed she thought she was shooting at a bear during the trip in Newfoundland, Canada, four years ago. She fired her rifle at her 42-year-old husband, Mark, who was not wearing an orange safety vest of hat at the time as he emerged from the bush.
If she had been convicted, Mrs Harshbarger could have faced a life sentence in prison. But Justice Richard LeBlanc of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador said the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she recklessly breached the standard of care expected by a person in such circumstances.
He said the incident was a “constellation of unfortunate facts”. The prosecution had argued she had shown “heedless” disregard for the “huge risk” she took when she fired her rifle after sunset. Mrs Harshbarger, who has been in jail since being extradited from the US in May, is to return to her home in Pennsylvania, according to her lawyer.
