On November 17, 2014, a tragic incident unfolded on a farm southeast of Novelty, Missouri, involving a hunting party from Illinois. James Funk, a 31-year-old male from Mascoutah, Illinois, was participating in a deer hunt in Knox County with a group that included family members. The group was conducting a deer drive, a hunting strategy where some members move through the area to push game toward other stationary hunters. It was during this maneuver around 2:00 p.m.
that the excursion took a fatal turn.
As the group executed the drive, David Wheeler, Funk's 54-year-old uncle, spotted a deer and discharged his firearm. In a devastating miscommunication and alignment of unfortunate circumstances, the shot fired by Wheeler missed its intended target and struck Funk instead. The severe injury prompted an immediate emergency response, and Funk was airlifted from the rural scene to Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois. Due to the critical nature of his wounds, he was subsequently transferred to Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Illinois, for advanced care.
Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Funk succumbed to his injuries three days later, passing away on November 20, 2014. The Missouri Department of Conservation, alongside local law enforcement authorities, launched an investigation into the shooting to determine if criminal negligence was involved. Investigators reconstructed the scene and interviewed the members of the hunting party to understand the sequence of events that led to the discharge of the weapon in Funk's direction.
The conclusion of the investigation determined that the shooting was strictly accidental. Authorities found no evidence of malicious intent or recklessness that would warrant criminal prosecution. Consequently, no arrests were made, and no charges were filed against David Wheeler in connection with his nephew's death. The case was closed as a hunting accident, attributing the loss of life to the inherent risks and rapid confusion that can occur during a deer drive.
