Hunter Was Sure He Saw Elk Victim Must Have Been Caught In Line Of Fire, Kohl Testifies At His Manslaughter Trial

John Michael Kohl was certain he’d seen the head of an elk when he pulled the trigger on his rifle.

After the shot, his eyes roamed the mountainside searching for his kill. What he saw told him something wasn’t right.

“It’s too close, it’s too small, it’s wrong,” he thought. “It got through my head - ‘My God, there’s a man lying there.”’

Kohl, a 41-year-old ordained minister, mopped tears from his face as he testified Wednesday during the third day of his trial.

He is charged with involuntary manslaughter for accidentally shooting and killing 28-year-old Shawn Jenkins while hunting in the mountains north of Coeur d’Alene.

Kohl faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Closing arguments and a verdict are expected today.

Kootenai County prosecutors believe Kohl acted recklessly when he fired his gun without being sure of his target.

But on Wednesday, Kohl told jurors he was sure of his target. He said he believes an elk was in his sights and Jenkins got caught in the line of fire.

As the defense presented its case Wednesday, Kohl testified that he had hunted and shot guns since his youth. He told the jury he even was certified as an expert marksman by the National Rifle Association.

On Oct. 17, Kohl went to the Kyle Ranch on Cedar Mountain south of Athol, Idaho. He asked the owner, Al Kyle, if he could hunt elk on the property and then set out with supplies for two days.

Kohl told the jury that in the late morning, he came upon fresh elk droppings. As he walked through the woods, he heard what he believed was an animal snorting and saw an elk.

“I saw the head of an animal through my scope,” he said. “It pulled back behind a tree and it came out again. As it pulled back in, I fired. I thought to myself ‘this can’t be anything else.”’

Instead, Kohl discovered he had shot Jenkins, of Hayden Lake, Idaho, in the back.

Jenkins and his older brother, Erin, had been hunting as well. Kohl was using his cellular phone to call for help when Erin Jenkins arrived to find his brother dead.

Kootenai County Prosecutor Bill Douglas reminded the jury it is a hunter’s responsibility to make sure of not only his target but also what is in front of it and behind it.

He hinted Kohl was suffering from “buck fever,” a description for hunters who act in an unsafe manner because they are so excited at seeing an animal.

The incident has taken a toll on both families.

After his discovery, Kohl said, “I just totally lost it. I could hear myself crying. Inside I was closed in a dark place. It was like there were two of me out there.”

His wife and five young children sat behind him.

Kohl said his memory of the shooting comes in patches. He has nightmares in which he can see Shawn Jenkins’ face.

The death of Shawn Jenkins has also left a hole in his own family. He left behind a son and pregnant wife.

Erin Jenkins said his brother’s young son is still confused about where his dad is.

“Every time his mom leaves him he comes unglued,” Jenkins said. “He’s afraid his mom is not going to come back either.”

But after testifying, Erin Jenkins said, “We’re not vindictive toward the man. I’ve forgiven him for what he’s done and so have the other members of my family. We just pray for him.”