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Widow asks court to approve $300,000 settlement in husband’s shooting death at Norge Farm Fresh

Gabriel "Gabe" Ryan Maness (left) with his wife Kristy Maness (WYDaily/Courtesy of Rick Maness)
Gabriel “Gabe” Ryan Maness (left) with his wife, Kristy Maness (WYDaily/Courtesy of Rick Maness)

The widow of a man killed while shopping at the Farm Fresh store in Norge is asking a court to approve a $300,000 settlement in a wrongful death case against the man who shot her husband.

Kristy Lea Ann Maness filed a petition April 9 for approval of a settlement totaling $300,000 with Brian Alexander Hicks’ liability insurance provider, United Services Automobile Association, or USAA.

Hicks, 58, was found not guilty by reason of insanity May 2, 2017, in the shooting death of Maness’ husband, Gabriel Ryan Maness, 34. Doctors believe Hicks was in a psychotic state in April 2016 when he shot Maness, a Providence Forge resident and Army veteran, several times in the head and body in aisle six of the store.

The petition states USAA is “nevertheless willing and offers to pay” $300,000 to Maness and her two daughters, although “the circumstances of the shooting are such as to render questionable the liability” of Hicks.

The judge is scheduled to approve or deny the petition at a hearing at 8:45 a.m. July 13, court records show.

Maness’ attorney, Timothy Clancy, declined to comment on the case Wednesday. Hicks’ attorney and guardian ad litem did not return requests for comment.

A guardian ad litem is an attorney tasked with representing and protecting the “interests of a person under a disability,” according to court documents.

Maness initially sued Hicks in November 2016, seeking $5.35 million in damages for “sorrow, mental anguish and loss of solace” in the death of her husband.

Brian Hicks (WYDaily/Courtesy of Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail)
Brian Hicks (WYDaily/Courtesy of Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail)

The civil case was delayed until the criminal case against Hicks went to trial so a determination could be made regarding Hicks’ mental status at the time of the slaying.

After Hicks was found not guilty by reason of insanity, the civil case proceeded. A settlement conference was scheduled for March 12 of this year. If no settlement agreement was reached, the case would have gone to trial May 1.

WYDaily archives were used in this story.

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Sarah Fearing
Sarah Fearing
Sarah Fearing is the Assistant Editor at WYDaily. Sarah was born in the state of Maine, grew up along the coast, and attended college at the University of Maine at Orono. Sarah left Maine in October 2015 when she was offered a job at a newspaper in West Point, Va. Courts, crime, public safety and civil rights are among Sarah’s favorite topics to cover. She currently covers those topics in Williamsburg, James City County and York County. Sarah has been recognized by other news organizations, state agencies and civic groups for her coverage of a failing fire-rescue system, an aging agriculture industry and lack of oversight in horse rescue groups. In her free time, Sarah enjoys lazing around with her two cats, Salazar and Ruth, drinking copious amounts of coffee and driving places in her white truck.

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