PALERMO – Donald “Larry” Mooney has been arrested on a charge of manslaughter in connection with the Memorial Day shooting death of Daniel Walsh.
State police detectives arrested Mooney, 36, on Monday afternoon at his home. He was booked at the Waldo County Jail; a District Court appearance has been scheduled for today.
Walsh, 40, of Palermo died at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston one day after being shot, allegedly by Mooney, during an altercation at Walsh’s Nelson Lane mobile home. The cause of death was a gunshot to the head.
The shooting occurred at the trailer home at about 7:15 p.m. Monday after the two men had spent the afternoon drinking.
Erin Walsh, the victim’s wife, and their three children, ages 13, 10 and 9, had been home most of the day but reportedly were chased from the home that evening by a drunken Walsh. Besides threatening his own family, Walsh also punched his wife’s brother, whose full name was unavailable, knocking him into the bathtub, according to an affidavit filed by Detective Laurie Northrup in Belfast District Court.
Northrup stated that Erin Walsh had sent one of her daughters to Mooney’s home asking for help, “which was not uncommon” whenever her husband became abusive. She said Mooney was asked to intervene in Walsh family fights “on several occasions.” Mooney resided 300 feet away from the Walshes.
Northrup stated that Mooney told her that he went to Walsh’s residence on his ATV after observing Walsh chase Mooney’s 13-year-old stepson from the property. When Mooney arrived at the trailer, the two men started fighting. The fight began indoors and spilled to the outside, where the two men parted.
Northrup stated that Mooney told her that he then went home, loaded his .22-caliber revolver and returned to the Walsh place. By that time, Mooney said, Erin Walsh and the children had fled in their car and were parked in a nearby blueberry field.
Mooney told Northrup that he went back to the house with the intention of getting Walsh to leave, but they started fighting once again. The gun fell to the floor during the fight and the two men struggled to gain possession.
Mooney came up with the pistol, pointed it at Walsh and said, “Dan, you’ve got to leave, don’t come near me or I’m going to shoot you,” Northrup stated in her affidavit.
Mooney recalled firing a single warning shot, then three others in Walsh’s direction, Northrup said. He told the detective that he recalled seeing Walsh fall to the floor and then leaving. Police recovered the gun from Mooney’s ATV.
Mooney cooperated with police throughout their investigation. Northrup and Detective David Tripp arrested Mooney at his home without incident.
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