Date: Fri 29-Nov-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

police-hunter-DiBecelle

Full Text:

Oxford Man Charged In Shooting Of Hunter

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Following a three-week investigation into the circumstances of the death of a

Bridgeport man who was shot and killed while hunting small game in Lower

Paugussett State Forest in Sandy Hook, state police have charged an Oxford

hunter with criminally negligent homicide.

On Monday, state police charged David M. Alechnowicz, 38, of Oxford with

criminally negligent homicide and first-degree reckless endangerment in

connection with the November 2 shotgun death of Scott A. DiBecelle, 28, of

Bridgeport, according to state police spokesman Sergeant Dale P. Hourigan.

The inquiry into Mr DiBecelle's death was conducted by the state police's

western district major crime squad and the Department of Environmental

Protection's (DEP) law enforcement division.

State police initially described Mr DiBecelle's death as an apparent hunting

accident, but always cautioned that the matter remained an active and open

investigation.

At about 4:30 pm on November 2, when it was starting to get dark, Mr DiBecelle

was hunting small game, such as coyote, deep in the forest, off Great Quarter

Road.

At that time, Mr DiBecelle died as a result of a wound to the head and neck

caused by a shotgun blast fired by Mr Alechnowicz, who was hunting wild turkey

in the area, according to state police.

Mr DiBecelle and an unnamed companion hunter were hunting coyote from a

stationary position. Both were fully camouflaged, including camouflage head

gear, and also were using audio game-calling devices, according to state

police.

Neither Mr DiBecelle nor the companion were wearing any fluorescent orange

clothing at the time, according to Sgt Hourigan.

State hunting regulations require that most hunters, including coyote hunters,

wear at least 400 square inches of fluorescent orange clothing so that they

are highly visible to other hunters.

The investigation into Mr DiBecelle's death identified several potential

contributing factors in the case, according to state police.

The primary factor in the death has been identified as the failure of Mr

Alechnowicz to positively identify his target as legal game before firing his

shotgun, state police said. Mr Alechnowicz misidentified the camouflaged Mr

DiBecelle as a wild turkey, according to a state police statement on the

incident.

Mr Alechnowicz was lawfully hunting wild turkey in the state forest at the

time, according to state police.

State police served a court warrant against Mr Alechnowicz in arresting him on

the two charges.

Both offenses are categorized as "Class A" misdemeanors and are punishable by

a sentence of up to one year in jail.

Mr Alechnowicz was released from custody on a written promise to appear in

Danbury Superior Court to answer the charges on December 2.

The DEP will suspend Mr Alechnowicz's hunting license for an indefinite

period, according to state police.

Newtown emergency service workers encountered great difficulty in getting to

and from the scene of the hunting incident which took place in the woods an

estimated 1.5 miles northwest of Great Quarter Road.

The Lifestar helicopter, which had been called to the hunting accident,

provided searchlight illumination as it hovered above emergency crews that

walked out of the woods carrying Mr DiBecelle in the darkness of night.

Mr DiBecelle was later pronounced dead at Danbury Hospital.