Hunter Shoots Man Dressed In Black To Death After Mistaking Him For A Bear

A 70-year-old hunter shot a man to death after mistaking him for a bear in West Virginia. He turned himself in the next day once he heard that law enforcement authorities had found a dead body in the woods.

Jimmy Carl Castle was hunting in Boone County, near the small community of Twilight, when he fired the shot at around 11 a.m. on Dec. 1. The hunter took aim when he thought he spotted a bear, but the shot was fired at an innocent man dressed in black. The deceased was identified as David Nicholas Green, according to Tri-City Herald.

Green, 30, was dressed in a black shirt that day and was digging for roots, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

It did not take long for Castle to realize that something was not right. He had doubts about whether he struck a person and decided to get a friend to help him out.

Castle eventually returned to the area with a friend to find the "bear." However, they decided to go back before finding the kill in order to avoid having to trudge up the steep terrain. They concluded that Castle shot a trash bag before heading back.

The next day, Green’s body was found by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office after his family members reported him missing. Officers initially thought he may have died from a fall but soon saw the gunshot wound.

Castle turned himself in at the sheriff’s office after finding out that a body had been found in the area.

Green’s bereaved wife, Brittany Green, spoke about how her husband's tragic death has left the family heartbroken.

“Davey was a loving husband, son and grandson. We were high school sweethearts and married for seven years,” she told WSAZ NewsChannel 3. “He had a contagious smile, and he was the light of our lives. We are so heartbroken.”

Brittany described her deceased husband as an outdoorsy man, who never hesitated to lend someone a helping hand.

“Davey loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, digging roots, and being with his dad,” Brittany said. “He had many cats and dogs and loved them all. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone that needed help.”

One of the residents, Bruce Braisden, lives close to the spot where Green was shot and has also known Castle all his life. Braisden believes Castle should have fired only after confirming whether it was a bear or not.

“If the boy was bent down on all fours looking at a root, he had a black shirt on, you might think that would be a black bear, but Jimmy should not have fired until he knew exactly what he was shooting at,” said Braisden.