UPDATE: Two charged in fatal Wise County shooting sent to prison

Two people involved in a February shooting in Wise County, Virginia were sentenced Tuesday in Circuit Court.

Marsahe Noell Absher, 20, and, Jarrod Ray Hash, 40, both of Norton, avoided trials and pleaded guilty to several charges including aggravated malicious wounding and abduction.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Chuck Slemp said Absher’s plan was to lure then take William Mills of Coeburn to a church cemetery in Wise where Hash and Christopher Stevens would confront him.

Police said Hash admitted to shooting Stevens, 39, who was found dead at the scene.

Absher will serve five years in prison which includes one year for a charge in an unrelated drug case. Hash received four years plus probation.

A statement from Slemp said: “Unfortunately, Virginia law does not allow us to seek murder or manslaughter charges in this case. Here, the evidence shows that Absher, Hash, and Stevens conspired to attack another individual and that criminal conspiracy resulted in the death of one of the co-conspirators. Under the law of our Commonwealth, an individual cannot be convicted of accidentally killing any co-conspirator of an ongoing illegal act or scheme. Our prayers are with the family of Mr. Stevens for their unimaginable loss and grief. I pray that they take comfort in knowing that we did everything we could to hold the offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

(MUGSHOT: SWVRJ)