Man Pleads Guilty As Jury Deliberates

Richard Ballinger Jr. interrupted jury deliberations in his manslaughter trial to plead guilty to the crime.

Ballinger, 19, pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree manslaughter in the death of Mark Allen of Colville.

Allen, 14, was shot in the face on Oct. 20, 1994, and allowed to bleed to death in Ballinger’s bedroom.

Ballinger was sentenced to 20 months in jail.

Allen’s family believes the shooting was deliberate, but Ballinger contended it was accidental.

Another youth, Charles Moreau, testified the three boys had gone to Ballinger’s room to smoke marijuana.

Ballinger had pulled out his rifle to show Allen, and thought it was unloaded, Ballinger testified.

Testimony at the trial indicated Ballinger panicked and called his mother in Ohio before summoning help for Allen. An ambulance arrived within five minutes of being called, but Allen had already bled to death.

A doctor testified that Allen was alive for 10 to 15 minutes after he was shot. Linda Allen said her son was cooperating with police in a theft investigation involving Ballinger and believed that made him a target for revenge. , DataTimes