In the late summer of 2013, a long-time employee of a Turner, Maine egg farm lost his life in a workplace incident. Manuel Adame, a 57-year-old male, died on Monday, August 19, 2013, from a single gunshot wound to his chest and neck. The man responsible for the shooting was identified as Michael Warbin, a 44-year-old contractor from Franklin, Connecticut, who had been hired to clear an egg house of pests.
Warbin was using a.
22-caliber rifle to shoot at rodents and stray chickens inside a poorly lit, 500-foot-long egg house. It is believed that Adame was in Warbin's field of fire, though it remains unclear whether Warbin was aware of his presence. Investigators were looking into the possibility that the fatal bullet may have ricocheted off the floor, the metal structure, or a piece of machinery before striking Adame.
While the shooting was initially considered unintentional, authorities were investigating whether criminal negligence played a role in the death. A key aspect of the investigation was to determine why Warbin was apparently unaware of another person in the building. A co-worker discovered Adame bleeding on the floor of the building an undetermined amount of time after he was shot. Warbin was cooperative with the ongoing investigation.
In addition to the police investigation, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration also opened a case to determine if any workplace safety rules had been violated at the egg farm, which was operated by Moark Egg Farm. Adame's relatives, who reside in Texas, were notified of his death.
