Mother Says Homicide Sentence Too Short

A 20-year-old Zanesville man received his sentence Wednesday for accidently shooting and killing his friend.

In June 2009, Eric Huffman shot 20-year-old Stacy Tuttle in the chest at a home on Ridge Avenue. Tuttle never recovered and died in October.

Wednesday in Zanesville Municipal Court Huffman pled no-contest to one charge of negligent homicide. He was found guilty by Judge William Joseph and sentenced to 180 days in jail, 90 of which are suspended. He also has to pay a 7-50 dollar fine plus court costs.

Stacy Tuttle’s mother says the punishment isn’t enough.

"Dismissed it as if my son’s life didn’t mean anything. When I’m reading in the paper that people are receiving stolen goods and vandalism get 18 months in prison and somebody who took somebody’s life is doing 90 days in the city jail and a $1000 fine? How is that fair?" said Leah Tuttle.

Tuttle said she doesn’t believe the shooting was an accident and she thinks Huffman got away with murder.

"People that know and that have knowledge of what took place are going to tell me more and are not going to hold back, because Stacy was very much loved by all of his friends here in Zanesville and I’m not the only one who’s going through the grief of losing him."

She said she has seen Huffman several times since Stacy’s death and he has not apologized. Huffman will begin serving his sentence February 8, 2010.