Some may remember the case of the muzzleloading hunter from PA who shot and killed a Texas bowhunter last September in SW CO during the early muzzleloader season. The two seasons overlap..
The PA hunter was hunting with a partner, and the partner was trying to bugle in a bull. The hunter heard what he thought was an elk and saw movement in the trees and shot the bowhunter.
The shooter was originally charged with criminally negligent homicide which is a class 5 felony in CO. He was just formally charged with manslaughter, which sounds less serious but is actually an upgraded charge since it's a class 4 felony that carries a possible jail sentence of 2-6 years and up to $500 K in fines. The shooter pled not guilty to the charges and the trial date was set for May 16th.
From the attached article it sounds like they were trying to work out a plea deal, couldn't agree, and the state upgraded the charges. That could be a negotiating tactic? Sounds like the shooter has hired some expert witnesses and plans to fight this in court. It'll be interesting to see what the experts will testify on, if it goes to trial:
https://www.durangoherald.com/artic...hooting-of-bow-hunter-in-dolores-county/
