Charges upgraded to manslaughter in case against Hollister man

A Hollister man, Billy Joe Hunter, is now facing a more serious charge in connection with an accidental shooting last month after the victim died from his injuries.

Hunter was originally charged with Class-D felony of second-degree assault on Aug. 9. He now has also been charged with Class-C felony first-degree involuntary manslaughter. The additional charges come after the 62-year-old male victim, whose name has not been released by Taney County officials, died from the injury.

According to the Aug. 9 probable cause statement, Hunter fired shots knowing a structure was in the potential path of the shots in a neighborhood along Hwy. JJ, south of Kirbyville.

“Hunter recklessly caused serious physical injury to the victim in this case by shooting a firearm in an unsafe direction striking the victim in the lower right abdominal area. Hunter was target practicing and shooting into a RV which showed complete pass through of the rounds fired into it,” the probable cause statement said. “The RV was set up in a direct path to the victim’s house. Hunter admitted to having knowledge of a structure in the path but did not know it was a house.”

The victim was standing in his yard when he was struck in the abdomen by the bullet. The victim was transported via Mercy Air Care to Mercy Hospital in Springfield.

The victim died from his injuries. An amended probable cause statement was submitted and the Taney County Prosecutor’s office amended the charges on Sept. 22. 

If found guilty of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, the range punishment for a Class C felony is imprisonment in the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections for a term of years not less than three (3) years and not to exceed ten (10) years; or by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000); or by both imprisonment. If found guilty of the second-degree assault charges, he faces imprisonment in the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections for a term of years not to exceed seven (7) years; or by imprisonment for a special term not to exceed one (1) year in the county jail or other authorized penal institution; or by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000); or by both imprisonment and a fine.