Homicide case bound for court

Assistant District Attorney Kyle Peasley called Adam Haun, the Franklin state police trooper investigating the case, and Venango County Coroner Christina Rugh to testify. Both witnesses were briefly cross-examined by public defender Jeffrey Misko.

Heathcote had called the state police barracks to report a “self-defense shooting,” Haun said.

Upon arriving at Heathcote’s residence close to 9 p.m. , Haun said he found Wingard’s vehicle parked in Heathcote’s driveway about 10 feet from Heathcote’s vehicle.

Haun said he found Wingard deceased, sitting in his vehicle with a “severe gunshot wound to the face,” and an archery finger guard on his right hand.

In addition, Haun said he observed damage to the driver’s side of the truck that looked like the result of a shotgun blast.

During her testimony, Rugh said, per the autopsy report, Wingard’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the right side of his face.

Heathcote was detained and taken to the state police barracks, where Haun interviewed him.

Haun said Heathcote told him that he had been hunting migratory birds with a 20-gauge shotgun on a neighboring farm, where he has permission to hunt, when he heard a male voice yell “there ain’t no turkeys here.” After continuing his hunt, Heathcote walked home as it was getting dark.

As he was walking into his driveway, Haun said Heathcote told him that Wingard yelled at him from the road that Heathcote had ruined his archery hunt and that Heathcote responded “(expletive) you.”

Haun said Heathcote related to him that both men became even angrier at that point. Haun added that from his conversation with Heathcote, Haun believed Wingard did not own the camera and that is why Wingard became so angry.

Then, Haun said Heathcote told him, Wingard made threats to kill Heathcote’s dogs and autistic daughter, so Heathcote said he was calling the cops at which point Wingard reached into his truck for “something,” and then Heathcote shot Wingard with his shotgun.

Haun said Heathcote told him that Wingard never directly or indirectly threatened him. Haun also noted Wingard never exited his vehicle.

Haun said he asked Heathcote if he had shot Wingard out of fear or out of anger, and Heathcote told him that he shot the man out of fear.

Haun said Heathcote told him it crossed his mind that Wingard might be reaching for a gun, but he never saw a gun in Wingard’s hand or in his truck, since it was dark in the truck.

As Haun’s interview with Heathcote came to a close, Haun said Heathcote had asked him if he had found a gun in Wingard’s truck when police searched it. “No,” Haun told him.

The weapon police said was used against Wingard, a double-barrel, 20-gauge shotgun with two spent shells still in the gun, was found on the front seat of Heathcote’s vehicle, Haun said.

After the shooting, Heathcote called his sister, who was also hunting but at a different location, at about 6:30 p.m. and then later, at about 8 p.m., Heathcote called state police, Haun noted.

Haun said he interviewed Heathcote’s sister, who said her brother called her to come take care of his dogs and that Heathcote also told her that he had gotten into an argument with a man and shot him.

Haun said when he asked Heathcote what went through his mind after he shot Wingard, Heathcote replied, “His life is over and so is mine.”