Teen convicted in unintentional shooting death of girl, 14

VINTON — An 18-year-old pleaded guilty Thursday in the unintentional shooting death of 14-year-old Emma Redlinger in 2015.

William Hines Jr. of Vinton, pleaded guilty in writing in Benton County District Court to involuntary manslaughter, an aggravated misdemeanor, and two simple misdemeanors of interference with official acts and harassment of public officers and employees.

Hines, who was 17 at the time of the offense but charged as an adult, would face up to two years in jail, but he has requested — and the prosecutor also will recommend — a deferred judgment and probation, court records show.

Sentencing is set for March 23. 

Hines admitted to holding a rifle at the home of Dillon Winterroth on Feb. 24, 2015, when it unintentionally discharged, hitting Emma in the head, according to court documents.

He also admitted that he handled the firearm in a reckless manner, even though 'I did not know it was loaded at the time I was handling it,' the court document shows.

As part of the plea, Hines also admitted that he lied to investigators about Winterroth, now 17, holding the gun when it discharged, and then again when he told police that Winterroth accidentally shot Emma.   

Court documents show Hines was with Emma, Winterroth, and Jacob Hissong, now 17, in Winterroth's bedroom at 1207 W. Fourth St. in Vinton that day when the gun discharged. All three boys initially lied to police, saying Winterroth was cleaning his Walther HK MPS 22LR semi-automatic rifle when it suddenly went off and the bullet struck Emma in the head.

Later, during another police interview, the three recanted their story and said Hines was holding the gun when it unintentionally discharged, court documents show.

Emma died from a gunshot wound to her head four days later at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Hines told police he didn't think the magazine worked, and he couldn't remember if his finger was on the trigger when it went off, court documents show.

Hissong also told police that after Emma was shot, the three boys planned to tell a different story of what happened because Hines was scared and didn't want to get into trouble.

Court records show Hines denied the three of them had planned a story, as Hissong said. Hines said Winterroth just took the blame, and he was scared and let him.

Winterroth, now 17, pleaded guilty last year in juvenile court to drug and other misdemeanor charges. He also was placed at the State Training School in Eldora until he completes the program.

Hissong, now 17, was also charged as a juvenile for making false reports to public safety entities, interference with official acts and harassment of public officers and employees, all misdemeanors. He was sentenced to six months probation last May, a juvenile consent decree shows.

Winterroth's mother, Robyn Merchant, 52, was convicted in federal court of one count of transfer of a firearm to a prohibited person. Merchant admitted to investigators that she purchased the .22 caliber rifle and gave it to her son.

She also admitted during the plea hearing that she knew her son was a regular marijuana user at the time she gave him the rifle.

An investigator testified during one of Merchant's hearings that authorities found evidence that marijuana was being sold out of Merchant's residence. Juveniles who testified before a grand jury said they purchased marijuana from Winterroth, and sometimes from his mother if he wasn't around.

Merchant was sentenced in October to nearly four years in federal prison.

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