Norridgewock boy, 14, charged in fatal shooting

NORRIDGEWOCK – After more than a month of investigation, a 14-year-old Norridgewock boy was charged Monday with manslaughter in the shooting death of his companion, Joshua Sawyer, 15, of Pittsfield.

Sawyer died in a Norridgewock cornfield March 19 from a gunshot to the neck when he and two other teens were shooting guns. Sawyer was a standout athlete and well-liked student at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield.

Assistant Attorney General Fernand LaRochelle confirmed Wednesday that the Norridgewock boy was served by Maine State Police Detective Christopher Tremblay with a juvenile petition, which means he will be treated by the court as a juvenile, not an adult.

According to Maine law, a person is guilty of manslaughter if that person recklessly, or with criminal negligence, causes the death of another human being.

“Manslaughter is an unintentional killing,” LaRochelle clarified.

It is a Class A crime, which, if the boy had been charged as an adult and convicted, is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. The harshest punishment applicable for a juvenile is confinement of the teenager until his 21st birthday, LaRochelle said.

The 14-year-old also was charged with reckless conduct with a firearm and will appear June 12 in 13th District Court in Skowhegan. His name will not be released until after his court appearance, Maine State Police spokesman Stephen McCausland said Wednesday.

Also charged Tuesday was Scott Rioux, 34, of Martin Stream Road, Norridgewock, with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of hunting on Sunday.

Rioux is expected to appear June 14 in 13th District Court in Skowhegan.

According to police, on March 19 Rioux supplied guns to Sawyer, Sawyer’s 14-year-old brother and the boy accused in the shooting.

LaRochelle would not confirm that Rioux is the father of the boy charged and would not discuss details of the investigation.

The incident was first reported to the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department as a hunting accident, but the two teenagers involved recanted their stories several days later, triggering a joint homicide investigation between the Maine State Police and the Maine Warden Service.

McCausland said the decision to press charges was made with the Maine Attorney General’s Office.