By Jodi Wolfe
Staff Writer

Jury decides Epsom man was shot accidentally

NEWPORT – Steven Laro of Concord was acquitted by a Sullivan County Superior Court jury on Monday, Dec. 13, on charges related to the shooting death of Robert Proulx of Epsom.

Last January, Laro and Proulx were hunting in Corbin Park in Croydon when Laro mistook Proulx for a boar and fatally shot him.

Laro was charged with negligent homicide and felonious use of a firearm as well as reckless conduct.

The reckless conduct charge was dismissed by Judge Arthur Brennan on Friday, Dec. 10, after Laro’s attorney, Paul Maggiotto, requested its dismissal.

Laro and Proulx were within 72 yards of each other when Proulx was shot. Laro’s gun sight was set to a magnification of five, said Sullivan County Attorney Marc Hathaway.

The law states that a person shooting a gun must be able to identify the target before shooting, so this was a case of target misidentification, said Hathaway.

“He failed to adequately identify who he was shooting at, and that was Mr. Proulx,” Hathaway said.

Proulx was not where he was supposed to be and he was difficult to see because he was in a depression, surrounded by trees, and wearing camouflage, said Maggiotto. Proulx was also supposed to be walking northwest, but instead he walked west.

“Therefore he walked into Mr. Laro’s path,” said Maggiotto.

Maggiotto was happy with the jury’s decision.

“(I’m) very glad the jury was able to see it our way,” said Maggiotto. “I’m very sorry for the Proulx family, but this was not a crime.”

While Proulx’s wife, Susan, is disappointed in the outcome, she respects its decision, said Jason Craven, a Manchester attorney who has been representing Robert Proulx and his wife for years.

“As to the verdict itself, she’s very disappointed in the verdict,” said Craven. “She certainly wants to thank Marc Hathaway and everyone in the Sullivan County Attorney’s office as well as Sgt. Suttmeier of the Fish and Game office.”

Proulx would also like to thank her family, friends, and employees at Wildlife Taxidermy and Sports Shop for their support over the last year, Craven said.

Proulx filed a $2 million lawsuit against Laro for damages in the Merrimack County Superior Court on Oct. 21, said Craven. The first hearing, a structuring conference to set up the civil trial, will take place on Friday, Jan. 14.

Criminal justice has no plans to further pursue Laro, said Hathaway.