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The upcoming episode of Dateline: Unforgettable, set to be aired on August 9, 2022 at 8 pm ET, is all set to dive deep into the complex case of Mark Harshbarger's death, who was the victim of a hunting accident while on a trip to Canada. Mary Beth Harshbarger allegedly thought that her husband was a black bear in the waning light of the evening and took a shot. This ended up killing the 42-year-old in the forest.
The synopsis for the upcoming episode of Dateline: Unforgettable, titled Out of the Darkness, reads:
"A wife calls 911 to report her husband has been shot on a country road in Texas; what she tells investigators next makes this case memorable for Josh Mankiewicz."
The episode will air on August 9, 2022. Ahead of the episode's airtime, here are a few facts about the shooting of Mark Harshbarger.
Three quick facts about Mark Harshbarger's death
1) Despite the case being ruled as an accident, early rumors indicated malicious intent
The early reports of Mark's death included rumors of Mary Beth using the time and situation cleverly to kill her husband. Other rumors hinted at Mary Beth having a running affair with her late husband's brother, Barry. This was also investigated as a motive in the early days of the case, according to some reports.
Mark's father, Lee Harshbarger, was strongly convinced that his son could not have been a victim of an accident. Lee Harshbarger said:
"I do think about him many times. I just can't understand how something like this could happen where a man could be mistaken for a bear. A man walks in an upright position. A bear walks on all fours."
In the end, no motive for Mary Beth's "accidental" shooting was found.
2) A guide who was with them on the hunting trip testified that Mary Beth was 'hysterical'
Guide Lambert Greene was with the couple as they went hunting for moose and black bears. He was the only other person on the scene who witnessed the death of Mark Harshbarger. He described the scene, saying:
"Mark proceeded on toward the truck. Then I heard a shot. After the shot, I heard a loud scream...I figured they were after shooting a moose or a bear."
However, soon enough, the guide reached a body on the ground and discovered that it was Mark. He checked for vital signs and concluded that Mark Harshbarger was dead. He recalled his conversation with Mary Beth:
"There was no sign of life. I got up and I looked towards the truck. Mary Beth was standing up by the side of the truck then. I called out: 'Did you shoot your rifle?' And she said: 'Yes'...I said: 'Mark is in there.' She asked me if he was OK. I said: 'No. He's dead.' "
3) Judge LeBlanc concluded that Mary Beth had good reason to believe that Mark Harshbarger was a black bear
There were numerous pieces of evidence cited for Mary Beth's decision to take the shot. Apart from the deceptively low-lit surroundings, pathological evidence suggested that Mark was leaning forward when he was shot. He was also coming out of a region with very tall grass, while wearing dark clothing and no hunter's orange safety gear.
All this resulted in the judge declaring that Mary Beth Harshbarger was not criminally negligent.
