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Kenneth Troy Heller of Warminster, pleaded guilty to guilty to involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person, possession of an instrument of crime, possession of a prohibited offensive weapon and two hunting law violations on Wednesday, the Bucks County DA's Office said.
Jason Kutt, of Sellersville, was sitting with his girlfriend at the edge of the lake near the Old Ridge Road access to the park waiting for the sun to set with his girlfriend around 5:15 p.m. on Oct. 24, Bucks County DA Matthew Weintraub said previously.
The romantic moment turned into devastating and tragic when a man in an orange vest just 550 feet away, shot Kutt in the back of his head, authorities said.
Kutt's girlfriend told authorities she saw a man in hunting clothing standing behind a yellow gate at Old Ridge Road, looking in their direction.
Two days later, Kutt was pronounced dead.
"For more than two months, Bucks County detectives Timothy Campbell and Michael Walp worked tirelessly on the case, tracking down three vehicles seen at the state park the day of the shooting," Weintraub said. "One of those vehicles, belonged to Heller."
Detectives interviewed Heller’s co-workers, who said he did not report to work the Monday after the shooting and was visibly “shook up” when returned on Tuesday. The co-workers also told detectives that shortly after the shooting Heller gave away guns, ammunition and hunting gear, Weintraub said.
Detectives searched Heller’s vehicle and home on Dec. 10, finding a .17-caliber Marlin rifle, ammunition for the rifle and an orange hunting vest with a 2020 hunting license issued to Kenneth Heller affixed to the back of the vest. Detectives also found metal knuckles with a dagger attached, according to the DA.
Bucks County detectives met with Heller and his attorney on Dec. 29, when he admitted to firing his .17-caliber Marlin rifle – the one located during the Dec. 10 search – from the area of the gate on Old Ridge Road, shortly after 5 p.m. and that the projectile from his rifle struck and killed the victim, according to a criminal complaint, authorities said.
Heller also admitted that he made no attempts to inform authorities that he took the fatal shot, according to a complaint.
Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey L. Finley said he received dozens of letters from Kutt's relatives and friends describing the impact his death had on the community.
Kutt’s father, mother and sister, and the mother of Kutt’s girlfriend, gave emotional statements.
“There is no recovering from this,” Kutt's father said. “Our hearts will never heal.”
Finley said the impact to the community, Heller’s reckless disregard of the rules of hunting and his failure to report what he had done to law enforcement factored into the sentence.
In addition to handing down a sentence of seven to 20 years, Finley ordered Heller to pay a $10,000 fine to the victim’s next of kin, as part of one of the hunting violations.
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