LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. — Two of nine suspects involved in the shooting death of a young woman have been sentenced.

Gary Wayne Hunter, Jr., and Diona Parks are only two out of nine people involved in the death of 27-year-old Sarah Pasco. Hunter, who is the alleged shooter in this case, entered a plea agreement earlier this week. He is convicted of second-degree murder and felony kidnapping. He was originally facing ten other charges but due to the plea deal, those charges were dropped.

The judge sentenced Hunter to 30 years with an extra ten years for kidnapping. Parks entered an Alford Plea and was convicted on second-degree murder and felony kidnapping. She was sentenced to a total of 35 years in prison.

Background

On Sunday, August 16, 2020, Hunter approached a truck with two women inside. Hunter asked if he could get in, and the driver let him. Investigators say once he was in the truck, Hunter put a pistol to the head of one of the women, Sarah Pasco, and told the other woman to drive.

The three drove to the home of Christina Knapp in Lawrence County. Deputies say Hunter knew Knapp. Charging documents say Hunter told Knapp to grab his AR/AK type gun from a black Ford Explorer. Once Knapp brought Hunter the gun, according to investigators, he told the two women in the truck to get out. The women refused. Sarah Pasco and Hunter started to argue, leading Hunter to fire the AR/AK at the truck. He ordered the two again to get out of the truck, and they did.

Hunter would later force the two women to get in a well where he shot both women. Pasco was shot in the head and died instantly. The other woman, who was also shot, hid under Pasco’s body and played dead until Hunter and the other suspects left.

Once Hunter had left, the woman who was shot and survived got out of the well and called authorities.