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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Outdoors blog

Hunter indicted for killing hiker he thought was a bear

HUNTING -- A grand jury in Salem, Ore., indicted a bear hunter Monday on a criminally negligent homicide charge in the shooting death of a hiker near Silver Creek Falls State Park.

If convicted, 67-year-old Eugene Irvin Collier of Turner could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

KVAL reports Collier was hunting with his 12-year-old grandson on Oct. 25 when Collier mistook the hiker for a bear and shot Christopher Ochoa, a 20-year-old from French Camp, Calif., and a Marine reservist who was due to report for active duty later the same day.



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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