Laurelville woman gets 15 to life for fatal shooting

CHILLICOTHE — A Laurelville woman will spend 15 years to life in prison, after pleading guilty to murder and felonious assault in connection with a gun slaying in Ross County.

Jara M. McKnight, 45, was indicted last November on the charges, for allegedly having caused the death of 49-year-old Eric R. Vanover of Laurelville, and of having used a gun in committing the crime.

According to a news report at the time, in October officers were called to the scene of a fire in a driveway, where they found Vanover, with a bullet wound in the base of his neck. He was taken to a hospital, and later died from his injury.

Upon questioning by police, McKnight reportedly said that she had fired a handgun into a van in which Vanover was located.

Online records of the Ross County Common Pleas Court show that on Friday McKnight pled guilty to the charges against her, and the state agreed to dismiss the firearm specifications on each of them. The two counts were merged for sentencing, and the court sentenced McKnight on the murder charge, giving her a mandatory sentence of 15 years to life with credit for 142 days of jail time.