Rigsby avoids murder plea for shooting uncle to death
A mentally disturbed man who killed his uncle three years ago will serve 10 years in prison after doctors found he was legally insane when he gunned down his relative.
The suspect, Adam Rigsby, 28, entered a guilty plea to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter as a Range Two offender, meaning he will serve 35 percent of his sentence before his first chance of parole. He was originally charged with first-degree murder for the slaying of Paul Rigsby, 32. The killer served one year behind bars before making bond, meaning he will be credited the one year toward service of his 10-year sentence.
The shooting happened in February 2004 at Adam Rigsby?s home on Baker Mountain Road in Van Buren County. According to investigators, Rigsby became angry at his uncle for unspecified reasons and pulled a high-powered rifle on the victim.
Sheriff?s department sources say the suspect had a history of mental problems and had been urged to seek further treatment prior to the tragedy. It is believed the shooting happened after the suspect summoned his uncle to the home and met him at the door with the rifle.
He fired a single round from the .243-caliber weapon, striking his uncle in the chest while the victim stood on the porch. The victim was rushed to River Park Hospital from the scene and pronounced dead.
Immediately following the shooting, Rigsby discarded the murder weapon and fled into the woods. A large-scale manhunt was mounted and tracking dogs were brought in to find his trail. The shooter was found hiding in a ditch off Baker Mountain Road six hours after the shooting.
According to District Attorney General Lisa Zavogiannis, Rigsby will be required to receive mental treatment while in prison and will not be allowed to go around the victim?s immediate family.
The plea agreement came after state doctors determined Rigsby was insane at the time he committed the crime but is now sane enough to help in his defense. Given the doctors? opinions, prosecutors felt the 10-year agreement would likely be the best that could be done, avoiding a potential scenario where Rigsby could be found insane at the time of the crime but too sane now to be placed in a mental institution.