Jason David Cloutier |
Friday, November 20, 2009
By MORRIS STEPHENSON - Staff Writer
A hunter who is charged with manslaughter in the death of a Ferrum College student will remain free while a judge considers whether his $20,000 bond should be increased.
Jason David Cloutier, 31, of Ferrum, was charged Tuesday with manslaughter, reckless handling of a firearm and trespassing in connection with the shooting death of 23-year-old Ferrum College student Jessica Goode. Cloutier was released on bond the following day.
On Thursday morning, a Franklin County Circuit Court judge heard a request from Assistant Franklin County Commonwealth's Attorney Tim Allen that Cloutier's bond be increased. Allen said the commonwealth's attorney's office is objecting to the Franklin County General District Court ruling on the bond amount set.
But Cloutier's defense attorney, Will Davis of Rocky Mount, said he had requested that bond be set for Cloutier at $10,000, but the lower court set the bond at $20,000.
Davis said the commonwealth's attorney's office should have objected to the bond set at that time but did not.
Franklin County Circuit Court Judge W.N. Alexander II made no decision on Allen's request Thursday. He said the bond would continue until the request was further discussed and researched by the two attorneys and the court reaches a decision.
Cloutier, who attended the hearing, did not address the court.
Goode, a senior from Frederick County, died at the scene of the shooting about 4 p.m. Tuesday after she was struck in the chest by a high-powered rifle bullet, said Lt. Karl Martin of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Goode was on county-owned land just west of the college campus when the shooting took place. She was there with two other students to gather specimens for a science class, a school spokeswoman has said.
Student Regis Boudinot, 20, of McLean, was struck by the same bullet that struck Goode, Martin said.
"Only one shot was fired that we are aware of," Martin said.
The bullet entered Boudinot's right arm and exited through his hand, Martin said.
Boudinot, a college junior, was taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital on Tuesday. He underwent surgery and was released Wednesday.
A third student in the group, Tyler Kraft, 21, of Mechanicsville, was not injured.
The lieutenant said Cloutier went right to the area where the students were, near a cul-de-sac off Route 40 West, after the shot was fired.
The county purchased the land several of years ago for an industrial park that never was developed.
A number of law enforcement agencies assisted in the investigation headed by the VDGIF.
VDGIF Conservation Officers Joe Williams, Jamie Slaughter, Nick Farmer, Chase Meredith and Brandon Edwards worked on the case.
According to Martin, the VDGIF also was assisted by members of the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, the Ferrum College Police Department, the Virginia State Police, the Henry County Sheriff's Office and the Franklin County Department of Public Safety.
On Wednesday morning, in a drizzling rain, an extensive search was conducted of the immediate area of the shooting scene in the woods near the cul-de-sac.
"We were very successful in finding what we were looking for" at the scene Wednesday morning, Martin said.
"However, we are still investigating extensively, and we will continue to do so until we get through it" (the investigation), he said.
Staff Writer Ken Bradley contributed to this report. |
