In the quiet fields near Baring, Missouri, a hunting trip turned into a devastating tragedy on a November afternoon in 2019. Richard Andrew Dale Howe, a 17-year-old male from Edina, lost his life in what was later described as a hunting accident. The young man, known as Andrew, was a senior at Knox County High School with a passion for the outdoors, including hunting, fishing, and bull riding.
On Sunday, November 17, 2019, Andrew was deer hunting with his grandfather, Donald Howe Sr., on private property north of Baring. It was during this outing that the fatal incident occurred. Reports from the Knox County Coroner indicated that the elder Howe mistook his grandson for a deer and fatally shot him. Andrew was not wearing blaze orange at the time of the shooting and was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation into the shooting was handled by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
In the months that followed the tragic event, the investigation led to legal consequences for Donald Howe Sr. In April 2020, he was charged in connection with his grandson's death. The charges included second-degree involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm, as a prior felony conviction for driving while intoxicated prohibited him from owning the 8-millimeter hunting rifle used in the incident.
Ultimately, Donald Howe Sr. reached a plea agreement. In exchange for pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of hunting on private land without permission, the more serious charges of involuntary manslaughter and unlawful firearm possession were dropped. As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine, concluding the legal proceedings in a case that brought profound loss to a family and a small rural community.
