Teen With Camcorder Captures His Own Killing On Tape

http://www.wtov9.com/news/5039999/detail.html ^

[lunarbicep]

LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Friends and relatives have said their final goodbyes to Wisconsin high school senior Seth Hammes.

Hammes, 17, was out using his camcorder as he explored the woods near Little Falls, Wis., last Saturday when the camera ended up recording his own fatal shooting.

After searchers found his body that night, investigators ran the videotape, which had captured the crack of gunshots, the teen's screams and the voice of the shooter, promising help that never came.

Police said the camcorder was the key to catching the man now charged with reckless homicide, 24-year-old Russell Schroeder. He told police he thought he saw an animal when he fired the shots, and he didn't call for help after seeing Hammes because he feared he would get in trouble.

The funeral service for Hammes was held Thursday.

His uncle, Ed Hammes, described his nephew as a gentle giant, who stood over six feet tall and wore size 17 shoes. He said the teen liked to tinker with the family's lawn mowers and research fireworks, but mostly he was someone who would go out of his way to help another.

Schroeder was being held on $250,000 bond. If convicted, he faces up to 85 years in prison.

[Graycliff]

I believe you've posted to the wrong person.

[Graycliff]

Can i keep my quail hunting dogs?

[MAWG]

Does that include bird dogs who flush quail and pheasant?

[armymarinemom]

Orange is your friend in the woods... prayers for the family!

Amen! When my dogs where still amoung the living even they wore orange.

Prayers from there too for the family.

[saganite]

LOL! It's a good story now but I bet you were seriously pissed at the time!

[RobertP]

You won't get flamed by me, atleast for deer hunting. Meat from deer that has been chased is horrible in comparison with a deer not chased. The deer walk out into the opening, I am up in the stand, take my binocculars to double check what I saw, then site the deer in my scope as it stands there eating, taking its last meal. Then BOOM from my 7MM Rem. Mag, deer drops dead instantly, no look of fear or terror on its face. Hell, the deer didn't even know what was about to happen.

When I rabbit and squirrel hunt, I do like to occassionally take my mini-dachshund along. He does have a fun time flushing the rabbit from its hole and treeing squirrels.

[WV Mountain Mama]

Nothing like identifying your target BEFORE you fire. Then, cap it off by not calling for help, I hope he rots in prison.

[bannie]

His most murderous act--the act of intention--was in NOT getting help. He KNEW he should get help, as evidenced by his promise to the victim TO get help.

Remember the monster who left the dying man in her car front windshield--checking up on him to wait for his death? Same evil.

[bannie]

Savage, I think you're sitting on a high horse, there. Ride it if you want, but--if you're really that high--you don't have to announce it to us "lesser beings."

[Sensei Ern]

Army's Fort McCoy near Sparta

I did some recon training at Ft McCoy.

That whole area is nothing but woods, streams and ditches. You need to wear identifiable gear or you could easily be shot.

Even though the kid was 6 foot, an inexperienced hunter might see movement and turn to shoot before identifying his target. The kid could have been in afive foot deep gully so six feet doesn't look six feet. The guy could have thought it was a pheasant taking off. There are lots of game birds in that area.

The one thing is that he did not get help. I can understand being scared. The worst I would charge him with is involuntary manslaughter, only because he did not get help.

Unless someone came up with a motive, I would have to side with the hunter, not the kid, due to his contributary negligence of not wearing proper clothing.

[P8riot]

I guess I should've specified deer hunting. Dogs are an essential part of bird hunting. Flame suit still on.

[P8riot]

Damn straight. I was scared to death.

[P8riot]

Yeah I meant to specify deer hunting. I have this continual arguement with my neighbor. He runs dogs and I stand/stalk hunt (I bow hunt and use a scoped .454 Cassull handgun). He gets his deer every year, and so do I, but you're right. His tastes totally gamey and is tough as nails. Mine are almost always bigger, since I take my time and pass up inferior animals.

[wallcrawlr]

This is a 2004 Logan High School yearbook photo of Seth Hammes of La Crosse, Wis. Hammes was using his camcorder as he explored the woods near Little Falls, about 35 miles northeast of La Crosse, on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005, when the device caught the crack of gunshots, the 17-year-old\'s screams and the voice of the shooter, promising help that never came. Hammes didn\'t come out of the woods alive, and police say that camcorder was the key to catching the man they think killed him. After viewing and listening to the tape, police tracked down 24-year-old Russell Schroeder, who now faces charges of reckless homicide and reckless injury. (AP Photo/Logan High School via La Crosse Tribune)

[spunkets]

Orange is irrelevant. This is not deer season. Besides that the moron doing the shooting should know exactly what he is shooting at.

[Fun Bob]

I hope he gets every one of those 85 years.

He abandoned that boy to die. Unforgivable.

It is almost as the Chante Mallard case. In her case, she had a homeless man embedded in the windshield of her car, begging for help. She left him there shut up in the dark for 2-3 days to die. What did she decide the best course of action was when she got home? She had sex with her boyfriend of course. She got 50 years IIRC.

[spunkets]

,i>"Remember the woman in Texas a couple years ago who hit a pedestrian who got lodged in her windshield, but was still alive."

Yep. Same thing here. This guy is a creep.

[GOP_Proud]

I can.

First of all he "thought" he saw an animal. You don't shoot when hunting because you "think" you see and animal. You "see" the animal.

Second of all he didn't get help. If he had quickly run for help and explained, he had a way out with a lighter sentence.

He's toast.

[spunkets]

"...an inexperienced hunter might see movement and turn to shoot before identifying his target. "

There's no open season on phantoms up here. Also, our laws require hunter's to ID their targets, else it's a negligent discharge. If ya kill someone, that's negligent homicide.

" The guy could have thought it was a pheasant taking off. There are lots of game birds in that area."

Only if yer mostly blind and dizzy enough.

" I would have to side with the hunter, not the kid, due to his contributary negligence of not wearing proper clothing."

Their is no contributory negligence here. None whatsoever. You want to hunt? ID YOUR TARGET! You have zero right to demand other people dress as you see fit to dress them, because you think blasting phantoms is a valid thing to do.

[spunkets]

reckless homicide and reckless injury