On the evening before Thanksgiving 2017, 43-year-old Rosemary Billquist of Sherman, New York, was walking her dogs in a field behind her home when she was struck by a single gunshot. A neighboring hunter, Thomas Jadlowski, had fired at dusk, mistaking her for a deer. He discovered he had shot a person, called 911, and stayed with her as he applied pressure to the wound. Rosemary was transported to a hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, but died of her injuries.

The shooting occurred after legal hunting hours, and investigators treated it as a criminal matter. Jadlowski was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide and hunting after legal hours; court filings describe the incident as a tragic mistake and include a written apology to Rosemary’s family. A judge sentenced him to one to three years in state prison.

Rosemary is remembered by family and friends for her kindness and vibrant spirit. If anyone was in the area that evening or has information about the circumstances around the field behind her home, please come forward.