Tricia Kutt stood with her daughter under a canopy of trees along the banks of Lake Nockamixon Sunday afternoon.
A warm breeze whispered through the reeds as ripples of water gently lapped the shore – it was an idyllic scene, one that frequently beckoned her nephew, Jason Kutt, to this very same Nockamixon State Park location on Old Ridge Road in Bedminster Township.
“It hits harder because this is the last place he was,” said Tricia, fighting back tears, “but it is so beautiful.”
Seven months earlier Jason, a 2020 Pennridge High School graduate, had been sitting on the pavement nearby when he was shot as he watched the sunset with his girlfriend, Erin Richardson. The hunter who was eventually charged in the incident would later tell prosecutors he mistook the Sellersville resident for prey. Jason died two days after the shooting but saved other’s lives as an organ donor. He was 18 years old.
On Sunday, Jason’s loved ones and friends gathered by the water’s edge to honor a young man who, his aunt said, was “just a really gentle person, really good hearted.” Like Tricia, Jason’s grandmother, Carolyn Ford, was making her first visit to the site since the October tragedy. Admittedly, she was nervous leading up to this day, but as she looked out across the landscape with her husband, Lee, sitting by her side, it was easy to see why the lake was, as Jason’s mother described, “one of his favorite places to be.”
To honor Jason, the Kutt family recently installed a memorial bench at the lake. The dedication ceremony was held on May 23.
Jason’s father, Ron Kutt, in accordance with Nockamixon State Park guidelines, created the green bench. He incorporated the image of angel wings and the neck of a guitar into the design, as Jason was an avid guitarist.
While Ron, a third-generation welder, had never built a park bench before, the project was as personal as it gets and nothing short of perfection would do.
“I wanted this to look impressive,” he said. “There’s literally a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into this bench.”
The Sellersville family cleared debris and installed the pad for the bench earlier this spring. The Kutts also planted a tree and added a memorial plaque next to it.
The bench and plaque were completed with assistance from three local businesses, Prodex Inc., Innovative Finishers and PrintWorks & Company.
Jason’s mother, Dana Kutt, said the family comes to the site often and wanted to provide their fellow community members with a safe location, off the ground, to watch a sunset or enjoy the lake breeze.
“Whatever you need this spot to be, if you need a place to think or pray, that’s what it’s here for,” she added.
Indeed, the lake offered serenity to Jason’s loved ones as they reflected, reminisced and remembered their family member and friend.
A shy kid in high school who was bold when it came to coloring his hair, Jason was a person “who loved everybody,” his sister, Brianna Hill, proudly shared.
She misses “the moments we’d joke around together, our FaceTimes … just having him around.”
Jason’s affinity for the outdoors and the band Metallica converged on the water Sunday, when a boat parade passed by the memorial site and played one of the band’s songs, “Nothing Else Matters.” Jason’s love for the heavy metal band was also reflected in the memorial T-shirts worn by several of those who attended the bench dedication.
The boat parade was organized by a group of anglers who go by the name, Nock Mafia Bass Fishing Club.
“We wanted to come out and show this family and friends that you’re not alone. This really rocked our community, especially us that fish here and live here,” said Revere resident and club member Dave Kimenhour.
“We hope ultimately this bench is the comfort spot for this family and we hope to see them here every time we’re out, and we hope Jason watches over us while we continue to fish this lake.”
At the dedication, Jason’s father thanked Bucks County detectives for working feverishly on his son’s case.
Two months after the Oct. 24 shooting, 52-year-old Warminster resident Kenneth Troy Heller was arrested and charged with criminal homicide in Jason’s death. Heller, Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub announced, has agreed to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter, and is set to appear in court in July.
The family, Dana said, has faith that a judge will hand down an appropriate sentence, but she added, “My son’s not here and that’s what I want.”
In time, the Kutts will turn their attention toward advocacy. While hunting was permitted the day of the shooting, they’d like to see some of the rules changed so that the senseless act that cut Jason’s life short doesn’t happen again in the future, Ron said.
On Sunday, though, the focus was on honoring Jason, whose family expressed deep appreciation for the support they’ve received over the past several months.
“What’s helping us get through it is the amazing outreach, support and love that’s coming from all over,” Ron said. “Not just friends and family, which they’ve been incredibly supportive, but from people who didn’t necessarily know us or Jason. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of tough times, but the community outreach has been phenomenal and that has really helped us get through it.”
Along with the support of local businesses, churches and community members, the Kutts have even received cards from ZIP codes in Minnesota and California, among other states, Jason’s mother added.
“Doing things in Jason’s name helps us,” Dana said of how the couple have coped with the loss of their child. “We’ll see what the years to come bring, but the first year – the first of everything, birthdays – is the hardest. Ron and I, we have each other and our family is close, but again the community has been amazing.”
The Kutts will continue to seek ways to honor their son’s life through a memorial fund established in his name.
“He was bigger than life,” Dana said. “Jason was always helping. He wanted to help everybody. He’d give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar in his pocket, a ride to work. If someone called him in the middle of the night, he was there.”
“We just want people to be good to one another,” she added. “Let’s be nice and help each other out – that’s Jason’s legacy and that’s what we want to continue.”
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