An Oklahoma mother has pleaded guilty to shooting her teenage daughter as she tried to hit a stray dog.
Amanda Myrene Fields Moffett, 43, was sentenced in federal court this week for the tragic shooting of her 16-year-old daughter Laramie in 2018.
The shooting occurred on October 5, 2018, outside the family’s home in Nowata, Oklahoma, after Laramie warned her mother that a stray dog was attacking kittens near their property.
Moffett stepped onto her porch, fired a pistol into the darkness and pulled the trigger before making sure her daughter was out of the line of fire.
After admitting to the involuntary manslaughter charge, she faces up to eight years in federal prison.
Amanda Myrene Fields Moffett, 43, admitted she was “grossly negligent” in the 2018 shooting of her 16-year-old daughter Laramie because she believed she was targeting a stray dog
Described as “always with a smile on her face,” Laramie (pictured) was a passionate rodeo sports fanatic with a penchant for barrel racing
When the tragedy occurred, it is believed that Laramie was outside trying to save the kittens when she was struck by the stray bullet.
Moffett admitted “gross negligence” in her plea agreement and acknowledged that she did not check her daughter’s whereabouts before opening fire.
“I walked onto my porch and fired a handgun at what I believed to be a stray dog,” Moffett wrote in her federal plea agreement.
“When I fired the gun it was dark outside and I knew it [my daughter] was outside my house trying to save the kittens from the dog. I haven’t checked this [my daughter] was not in my line of fire when I fired the pistol.’
The mother added that the firing of the gun was the “direct and proximate cause” of her daughter’s death.
Following her guilty plea, U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson stated, “Every gun owner has a legal responsibility to exercise extreme caution when discharging a firearm.”
“This case unfortunately highlights the potential tragic consequences when this caution is lacking.”
Moffett, a Cherokee citizen, was initially charged with first-degree premeditated murder in Nowata County District Court.
The case was later dismissed because it was deemed improperly filed, raising questions about how many shots were fired and whether the mother and daughter had argued the night of the shooting.
It wasn’t until five years after the shooting, on September 16, that federal prosecutors decided to take up the case.
Laramie’s death initially led to a murder charge before the case was dismissed. Her mother’s guilty plea this week came after federal prosecutors took up the case five years later
Moffett will be on supervised release pending her sentencing, the date of which has not yet been set.
Officials added that a federal judge will consider sentencing guidelines and legal factors in sentencing, with her guilty plea likely resulting in a reduced sentence of between zero and 16 months, the plea agreement states.
Tributes poured in for the teenager following the horrific accident, with loved ones remembering her as a vibrant teenager who was passionate about the sport of rodeo.
“Laramie always had a smile on her face,” reads a heartbreaking obituary for the teenager.
“She loved all animals, especially her horses and show calves.” She was an accomplished rodeo rider. She was not afraid of animals, she rode bulls and horses bareback. What she loved most was barrel racing and roping.’
Laramie was considered an exceptional barrel racer and qualified for the National Barrel Horse Association World Barrel Racing Finals.
The mother of one of the 16-year-old’s friends commented on the obituary: “I absolutely loved her.” And I’m so grateful for the friendship she and Emily shared. Thank you all for loving my daughter as your own. We will miss Laramie forever.