A Missouri judge has handed down the final sentence in a horrifying case involving nine people who kidnapped two women, forced them to dig their own graves, and then shot them, killing one while the other pretended to be dead to survive.
Christian County Circuit Judge Laura Johnson sentenced Steven “Chase” Calverley to 40 years in prison for his role in the 2020 murder of Sarah Pasco. Back in October, Calverley was found guilty of eight charges, including second-degree murder, kidnapping, and robbery. Initially, he faced the death penalty, but prosecutors agreed to take it off the table in exchange for a bench trial, court records show.
The chilling events unfolded on August 16, 2020. Calverley, along with co-defendant Gary Hunter Jr. and others, abducted 27-year-old Pasco and another woman, forcing them into the trunk of a Toyota Corolla. Hunter and Calverley drove the Corolla while others followed in a pickup truck belonging to one of the victims. The group headed to a remote location near Lawrence County, Missouri.
Once they arrived, the suspects forced the two women out of the vehicles and led them to an abandoned well. The victims were ordered to get inside. According to authorities, Hunter demanded to know where someone was, yelling at Pasco. When she said she didn’t know, he shot her in the head, killing her instantly.
The other woman, desperate to survive, hid under Pasco’s body and pretended to be dead as Hunter fired more shots into the well. Once the group left, the survivor climbed out and ran to find help. Deputies from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office found her and rushed her to the hospital by helicopter. Despite her injuries, she survived.
The suspects didn’t stop there. Hunter called another person involved in the crime and told them to burn the pickup truck to cover their tracks. They stuffed a T-shirt into the gas tank and set it on fire.
Gary Hunter Jr. was also convicted in the case and sentenced to 40 years in prison. During Calverley’s trial, Hunter testified that he was high on methamphetamine and believed the women had set him up to be robbed. Hunter admitted he had pulled a gun on them and forced them to dig their own graves. While he claimed that Calverley was “innocent” and had no part in the crimes, the surviving victim painted a different picture. She told the court that Calverley had threatened them with a gun and a pair of shears while they dug.
This haunting case, which played out in the quiet rural areas of Lawrence County, Missouri, serves as a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the determination of law enforcement to bring justice to even the most horrific crimes.
