On what was the opening day of modern gun deer season, a tragic accident claimed the life of Russell Stillwell, a 77-year-old male from Goshen, Indiana. The incident occurred on the morning of Saturday, November 11, 2023, on a farm located on Poor Ridge Pike in Garrard County, Kentucky. Mr. Stillwell had traveled to the area to hunt on a property belonging to his family.
According to the Garrard County Coroner, preliminary evidence suggests that the fatal event was a self-inflicted,
accidental shooting. It appears that Mr. Stillwell was using his deer rifle as a makeshift walking stick to help him traverse a steep embankment. During this action, the firearm discharged, resulting in a fatal injury. A relative who was with him at the time immediately called for help.
Law enforcement officials from the Garrard County Sheriff's Office, along with the Garrard County Coroner and Kentucky State Police, responded to the scene. The investigation into the death was headed by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife. The nature of the incident was determined to be a hunting accident, and as such, there have been no arrests made, nor have any suspects been named in connection with this unfortunate event. Mr. Stillwell's death was one of two separate, unrelated hunting fatalities that occurred in Garrard County during that same opening weekend.
