On New Year’s Eve 2014, 63-year-old Charles Larry Gilliam of Claudville, Virginia, was shot in the back at close range while rabbit hunting in the Patrick Springs area near Boaz Pond Lane. The incident was initially reported as a hunting accident, but the investigation changed direction after deputies responding to a 911 call encountered 19-year-old Travis Dylan Hazelwood of Stuart at the scene. Hazelwood admitted he had intentionally shot Gilliam and told investigators he had wanted to kill him for some time, alleging Gilliam had placed a bomb in his grandfather’s house that was later removed.

Hazelwood was charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. In March 2016 he entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity; an independent psychiatric evaluation concluded he met the legal criteria for insanity and the court accepted the plea, committing him to a state mental health institution. Subsequent requests for conditional release in early 2021 and early 2023 were denied, with the Commonwealth’s Attorney opposing release due to insufficient, unstructured plans and concerns for public safety.

Are there details about the scene, the hunting group, or Gilliam’s activities that anyone can add to help clarify what happened that day?