A Missouri woman has testified against one of the people who kidnapped her and a friend, forced them to dig their own graves, and then shot them.
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This week, Melissa Pugh testified against Steven Chase Calverley, one of nine people charged in the August 2020 kidnapping.
The Springfield Daily Citizen reported that Calverley is the only one of the nine whose case has gone to trial. Several of his alleged accomplices have pled guilty to the events that led to the death of Pugh’s friend, 27-year-old Sarah Pasco.
Nine People Charged in the August 2020 Kidnapping of Sarah Pasco and Melissa Pugh
The horrific incident began, prosecutors say, when Gary W. Hunter Jr., 25, kidnapped Pugh and Pasco at gunpoint on Aug. 17, 2020. He forced them them to drive to an accomplice’s house.
There, Hunter and eight others made the women begin digging their own graves. Ultimately, they were taken to a wooded area in Lawrence County, Missouri, and forced into a well.
Hunter is said to have fired the shot that killed Pasco, while the Associated Press reported that Calverly is believed to have fired rounds that injured Pugh.
Hunter previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Pugh the attempted murder by hiding under Pasco’s body and playing dead until her attackers left the scene. She then escaped and called 911.
The Daily Citizen shared that Pugh told the jury that she “forgave” Calverley. However, she questioned why he didn’t help her and Pasco.
“I know God spared my life for a reason,” she told the courtroom, “But I don’t understand why none of them tried to help us… Especially with Mr. Calverley being a war hero.”
Calverley is a former Marine who was awarded a Purple Heart after being injured in Afghanistan when a Taliban IED struck his vehicle.
Per the Daily Citizen, he read a letter to Pugh, Pasco’s family and the courtroom, sharing his apologies.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me. But I want you to know I am sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry I was a coward and didn’t try harder to stop him. I’m sorry I didn’t call 911 and report it. I’m sorry I didn’t try to put myself between him and you guys.”