3/1/13 - A Howell man will be sentenced next month after entering pleas in a fatal gun range shooting last year. 19-year-old Jessce Lincon Stearn pleaded guilty today to charges of manslaughter and felony firearms counts for the June 30th, 2012 incident at the Livingston Conservation and Sports Association gun range. Police say Stearn was holding a replica AK-47 when it discharged and hit Charles Robert Kimball in the head and killed him instantly. Stearn told police the gun discharged while he was cleaning the weapon. Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte says there were concerns with his story from the beginning and witness accounts contradicted his claim. He also noted that experts were unable to reproduce the malfunction when they tested the weapon. Prosecutors filed the manslaughter charge because there was no evidence Stearn intended to kill Kimball, but did deliberately aim the weapon when it fired. Stearn will be sentenced April 4th. He faces up to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter charge and an additional two years on the felony firearm charge. (JK)
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