Man Sentenced in Girl’s Accidental Shooting Death: three-year suspended prison sentence, and placed on five years probation

Man Sentenced in Girl’s Accidental Shooting Death

September 14, 2011

HERMANN, Mo. (KMOX)-The Owensville, Mo. man who accidentally shot and killed a three-year-old girl two years ago, has been given a three-year suspended prison sentence, and placed on five years probation.
48-year-old Joseph Novak was found guilty in May of second degree manslaughter in the death of Allison Schneider.
Novak was shooting his pistol at a target next to his home in November of 2009,  when a 9mm round travelled across a field, through a grove of trees and hit the girl, 365 yards away, in the head.
Investigators say Schneider was looking at livestock with two others when she fell to the ground.


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Man Guilty in Girl’s Accidental Shooting Death

Brian Kelly

May 18, 2011stlouis.cbslocal.com
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HERMANN, Mo. (KMOX)-A rural Owensville, Mo. man faces prison time, for the accidental shooting death of a three-year old girl.
Gasconade County Circuit Judge Gael Wood  has found Joseph Novak guilty of second degree involuntary manslaughter in the death of Allison Schneider.
Wood handed down the verdict two weeks after he presided over a nearly three-hour long bench trial. Novak had originally been charged with first degree involuntary manslaughter.
Novak now faces one to four years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine. He’s expected to be sentenced in July.
Allison was walking through a barn with some neighbor children on November 2, 2009, when she was hit in the head by a bullet, which Novak fired while target shooting, 389 yards away. She died the next day.
During the trial, Novak testified that he thought it was safe to shoot the weapon, considering the distance and the trees between the properties. He also said he didn’t know that anyone lived on the property across the field.


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