A dispute over allowing Kallin Richards to drive home drunk may have led to a fight before the 24-year-old's shooting death early Saturday morning in the village of Sherburne, according to the Chenango County sheriff.
Richards, of New Berlin, was gunned down behind the wheel of his 2000 Ford Explorer as he was leaving Sherburne Meadows Apartments at about 2:40 a.m., deputies said in media release later Saturday.
A single slug fired from a 12-gauge shotgun struck Richards in the torso, hitting his heart and liver, Sheriff Thomas Loughren said Monday.
"He was killed instantly," Loughren said.
The alleged shooter, Joshua Story, 23, was taken into custody at his apartment in Sherburne Meadows at about 4 a.m. He was charged with second-degree murder and was sent to Chenango County jail without bail to await a felony hearing Thursday in Sherburne Town Court.
Richards, Story and a third man not identified by deputies were at a neighborhood bar earlier in the evening after eating dinner at Story's apartment, Loughren said. The three later returned to Story's apartment, and at one point, Richards attempted to leave, prompting a dispute that involved Story holding on to Richards' keys, Loughren added.
"They were arguing about keys," Loughren said. "They thought he had too much to drink."
Richards and Story fought in the parking lot of the apartment building, and when the third man broke up the fight, Story returned to his apartment and Richards attempted to leave in his Explorer, Loughren said.
"(Story) went back in and armed himself," Loughren said.
The shotgun was fired once and a slug smashed the driver's side window, striking Richards, he said.
The Explorer rolled to a stop against a tree, deputies previously said.
Story, who lives in the apartment with his girlfriend and 2-month-old child, was peacefully taken into custody at about 4 a.m. when the girlfriend let deputies inside, Loughren said.
Richards, Story and the third man were friends who worked together at Baillie Lumber Co. in Smyrna, Loughren said.
"I was told that we are not giving out information right now," said a woman at the company's lumber yard Monday afternoon.
The third man witnessed the shooting, and Story made an oral admission to a detective while he was being driven to the Chenango County Sheriff's Office headquarters in Norwich, Loughren said.
But Loughren said there may be more to the dispute between Richards and Story than just an argument over keys.
"We still have a lot of leads to run down," Loughren said.
Richards was a longtime resident of the area, but Story is a recent arrival from Tennessee.
"He hasn't been here even a year, " Loughren said.
Loughren said deputies are still trying to track down Story's background, but there do not appear to be any significant arrests during his time in Chenango County.
Richards was recently charged with driving while intoxicated and fourth-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing a car. He also served two years in prison for possessing stolen property.
There is no connection between this case and the Corbin Douglas Sr. federal and state trials, Loughren said.
Richards was a key witness in both trials and is the second person close to the case to be killed with a shotgun in the town of Sherburne.
Joshua Richheimer, 32, of Butternuts, who was on the prosecution witness list for the August federal trial was fatally shot July 24 while attempting to rob another man's Sherburne home, according to authorities.
The Richards shooting is the latest in a string of homicides in Chenango County.
"It's just a sign of the times, I guess," Loughren said.
