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Hurley pleads to Voluntary Manslaughter
A Cocke County man who last year shot and killed a South Carolina man following a verbal altercation over fireworks, on Monday pleaded guilty to a charge of Voluntary Manslaughter in Cocke County Circuit Court. Gary L. Hurley, 53, Chicken Hollow Road, Newport shot Caleb Storie, 20, Conway, South Carolina, who was visiting his mother who lives near the Hurley home. Storie died at the scene of the July 15 incident, after being shot twice in the chest with a 9mm handgun at 10:30 p.m.. Hurley, his wife Stella, and son Evan, walked from their home to the neighboring home of Shandra Storie to confront the victim who was shooting off fireworks. A subsequent verbal argument led to a physical altercation. The Storie residents had been enjoying a party before the victim was to head home to South Carolina. The defendant told investigators that he shot Storie in self defense after he was attacked. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist in the probe, and a subsequent search of the defendant's home resulted in the confiscation of five rifles, a shotgun and two pistols. Because Hurley is a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing firearms. Hurley later was indicted by a federal grand jury seated in Greeneville, on two counts possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was given a 30 month federal prison sentence by Judge Ronnie Greer. In addition to the Manslaughter plea, charges of Second Degree Murder, Reckless Homicide, Unlawful Carry or Possession of a Weapon and Reckless Endangerment, were dismissed as a part of the plea agreement. Assistant DA Tonya Thornton told Judge Ben Hooper that the plea agreement provides for Hurley to receive an eight year term, concurrent with a 30 month federal prison sentence. He was sentenced as a Range II offender, meaning Hurley will be required to serve 35 percent of the sentence before he is eligible to ask for parole. Following a bench conference with Defense Counsel William Leibrock, Prosecutor Thornton told the NewsSourse that "we believe this is the appropriate plea based on all of the facts and evidence." Leibrock said "the state and defense agreed it was a close call with regard to the issue of self-defense." Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes thanked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Office of District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their assistance in the investigation.
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