Seven Fields Man on Trial for Teen's Shooting Death

A Seven Fields man is on trial this week for the shoooting death of a visting teen friend at his family's home more than a year ago.

Eric Rutledge, 20, is charged with criminal homicide in the death of 18-year-old Courtney Daily, who was visiting Rutledge from her hometown of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Cranberry police, who were dispatched to the home on Woodhaven Drive in Nov. 16 2010 after receiving reports of a self-inflicted shooting, said they found Daily laying on the floor of an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the criminal complaint.

Rutledge told police he had retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun from a closet and loaded a single shell into the tube after the two heard noises on the first floor of the home. According to a criminal complaint, Rutledge said he did not load that round into the chamber of the gun and believed it to be empty.

Rutledge told police he and Daily began to talk about what it would be like to be shot or to shoot another person. He said Daily took the shotgun and pointed it at him, saying she would never have the nerve to shoot someone. Rutledge, who told police he did not feel threatened, said Daily’s finger never touched the trigger of the gun.

Then Rutledge said it was his turn as he took the shotgun and pointed it at his friend, the complaint said.

“Believing the weapon to be unloaded and the safety mechanism engaged,” according to the complaint, he pulled the trigger, striking Dailey in the upper right shoulder and chest.    

The trial is being held before Butler County Butler County Common Pleas Judge William Shaffer.

WPXI reports 911 calls were played for the judge Monday, the first day of trial. Rutledge can be heard telling a 911 dispatcher several times that he, "did nothing wrong."

Al Linday, Rutledge's attorney, said his client is not guilty of a crime and that "This was a stupid accident. It should have never occurred, but it's not murder," according to WPXI.