Kirt Matthew Stubbins was a selfless and dependable man known for his genuine care for others. A 41-year-old White man from Addison, Michigan, he was an avid outdoorsman who found joy in hiking, camping, and hunting. After working for years as a dairy farmer, the Onsted Community Schools graduate started his own lawn care business in 2019. He was a great father and an active member of his church and the Kiwanis Club.
His life was cut short on November 30, 2023, just days before his 42nd birthday, when a hunting excursion in Rollin Township ended in his death from a gunshot wound.
The Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office received a call around 9:40 a.m. about a shooting on Rome Road. Though the incident was initially reported as a possible hunting accident, investigators soon determined it was a homicide. The investigation, led by the sheriff's office with support from the Addison Fire Department and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, began to uncover a darker narrative.
On February 13, 2024, more than two months after the shooting, a significant development occurred with the arrest of 17-year-old Trenton Karl-Mark Berry in Jackson. Authorities revealed that Berry was the son of Kirt's girlfriend and had been hunting with him at the time of his death. An autopsy matched the bullet from Kirt's body to the .350 rifle Berry had been carrying. Berry was charged as an adult with open murder and felony firearm, and his bond was set at $10 million.
After a judge found him competent to stand trial, the legal proceedings against Berry moved forward. In a major turn, Berry, then 19, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in November 2025. The plea was reportedly entered due to concerns about civil liability and a claimed lack of memory of the incident. As part of the plea agreement, the original charges were dismissed. In February 2026, Trenton Berry was sentenced to prison, bringing the case to a close.
