HART, Mich. (WOOD) — A Jenison man accused of killing a Wyoming teen in a hunting accident will forego a second trial.
On Monday, Roger Hoeker pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of reckless discharge of a firearm, causing death in connection to the death of 13-year-old Billy Gort Jr., according to the Oceana County Circuit Court.
Authorities say Billy was shot in the head while hunting on state-owned land in the Manistee National Forest in February 2017. Hoeker, who is a hunting safety instructor, was charged six months later.
A judge last month declared a mistrial in Hoeker’s case because of a “procedural error.” The judge dismissed the case without prejudice, allowing for a retrial.
Hoeker faces up to two years in prison when he’s sentenced on Sept. 10.