17-year-old accused in unintentional shooting of 14-year-old Vinton girl will be tried as adult

VINTON - A 17-year-old accused of unintentionally firing the gun that killed a 14-year-old Vinton girl last year will be tried as an adult.

And another 17-year-old who owned the gun pleaded guilty to drug charges Tuesday in juvenile court.

William Hines Jr., charged with involuntary manslaughter, interference with official acts and harassment of public officers and employees, will be tried as an adult as attorneys on both sides had stipulated, 6th Judicial Associate District Judge Barbara Liesveld ordered Tuesday in Benton County Juvenile Court. She set his initial appearance for March 30 in district court.

Hines is accused of holding the .22 caliber rifle when it discharged, hitting Emma Redlinger in the head on Feb. 24, 2015. She died four days later at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Hines and two other teens were passing around the gun that day and initially lied to police about what had happened, according to juvenile petitions previously filed.

Petitions show Hines admitted to police that he was holding the gun when it discharged, but said he didn't think the magazine worked and he couldn't remember if his finger was on the trigger when it went off.

In a second police interview on April 15, 2015, Hines said was standing when he picked up the rifle and held it at waist level when it discharged. He denied pointing it at anyone or intentionally pulling the trigger.

In a separate court hearing Tuesday, Dillon Winterroth pleaded guilty in juvenile court to marijuana and drug paraphernalia charges; making false reports to public safety entities; interfering with official acts and harassment of public officers and employees.

Assistant Benton County Attorney Brett Shilling said the prosecution and defense agreed to try Winterroth as a juvenile in exchange for the case not being waived into adult court. Winterroth will be placed at the Boys State Training School in Eldora until he completes the program. His dispositional hearing, formally sending him to the school, will be April 12.

Winterroth admitted during the hearing to possessing 7 grams of marijuana with the intent to sell - marijuana that was found in his bedroom where the shooting happened. He also admitted to lying to police about who discharged the gun, interfering with their investigation and possessing drug paraphernalia.

Winterroth, Hines and another 17-year-old, Jacob Hissong, who was in the room that night, initially said Winterroth was fixing the magazine or holding the rifle when it was discharged, but later recanted.

Hines said he was scared and he went along with Winterroth when he took the blame. Hissong told police in detail how the weapon was handled, who handled it, and that Hines was 'messing around with it without knowing that it was loaded when he fired the gun by accident.” He also said after Emma was shot, the three of them planned to tell a different story of what happened because Hines was scared and didn't want to get into trouble, the petitions show.

Hissong is charged with misdemeanor charges of false reports to public safety entities, interference with officials acts and harassment of public officers and employees. He will remain in juvenile court.

More information about Emma's death came out during a detention hearing for Winterroth's mother, Robyn Merchant, 52, last month in federal court. Merchant, charged with one count of providing a firearm to a prohibited person, admitted to police she purchased the weapon the day before the shooting because her son wanted a gun for target practice and hunting. She knew he son was using marijuana.

Vinton Police Capt. Eric Dickinson testified during the hearing police found marijuana was being sold out of the Merchant house. Juveniles testified before the grand jury and told police that they purchased marijuana from Winterroth and sometimes from his mother if he wasn't around.

Officers found marijuana, drug paraphernalia and replica weapons in Winterroth's bedroom after the shooting, Dickinson said. They also found 'blunt impact” weapons hidden around the room, ammunition and a locked safe, which contained marijuana that was portioned out in separate plastic bags.

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