Death penalty sought against five accused of vile Pasco murder

Life sentences may be in store for others involved in murder west of Miller
 
Five of the nine people accused of murdering Sarah Pasco earlier this summer may face the ultimate penalty, if they are convicted. Don Trotter, Lawrence County prosecutor, filed notice of his intent to seek the death penalty against Gary Hunter Jr., Andrew Cypret, Lyle DeLong, Diona Parks and Steven Caverley. The other four defendants in the case, Sierra Dunham, Kimberly Henderson, Frank Sheridan and Christina Knapp all face up to life in prison.
Pasco was murdered on Aug. 16. According to the probable cause statement in the case, Hunter approached her and another woman, whose identity remains confidential, while they were in the other woman’s truck in Stotts City. Hunter allegedly forced the women to drive to Knapp’s residence. Later, Cypret allegedly drove to an abandoned well outside of Miller with the women in the trunk of his car; DeLong, Caverley and Parks allegedly rode along with him. Delong, Cypret and Parks allegedly left in the other woman’s truck and attempted to destroy it by burning it.
 Hunter allegedly forced the women to climb into the well and shot them; Pasco was killed immediately; the other woman said she was also shot but managed to play dead by hiding under Pasco’s body.
In a court filing dated Dec. 3 in which he gave notice of his intent to seek the death penalty, Trotter described the murder of Pasco as “outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible or inhuman in that involved torture or depravity of mind.”
All nine suspects remain in custody pending trial.