Man Found Guilty In Fatal Deer Stand Fight
BAGLEY, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Breezy Point, Minn. man has been found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in connection to the November 2010 death of a hunter in a fight over a deer stand.
Investigators said Kevin McCormick, 51, pulled on a deer stand that Jerry Benedict was in and caused him to fall about 12 feet to the ground on November 6. Emergency workers found him hurt the next morning.
According to the charges, Benedict fell following a fight between the two, with McCormick claiming Benedict had set up the stand on his property. Benedict claimed he was on tribal land and, therefore, had permission to hunt there.
McCormick claims the tree stand tipped as he was grabbing the top rung to hand Benedict his business card.
The charges state that, according to the Assessor's Office, McCormick does not own property in Clearwater County.
Benedict suffered multiple injuries, including several broken vertebrae in his back and internal bleeding in his abdomen and lungs. He died about two weeks later.
McCormick's sentencing has been set for April 11, 2012.
