In the quiet community of Wise, Virginia, the life of 39-year-old Christopher Dale Stevens was tragically cut short on a cold winter day. On February 3, 2020, a violent altercation unfolded in a cemetery on Limestone Road, behind the Stephens Chapel Freewill Baptist Church. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a grim tableau. Stevens had sustained fatal gunshot wounds, and two other individuals were also found injured.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a complex
and violent encounter involving multiple people. Among the injured was Marshae Noell Absher, who was found with a gunshot wound to her back inside a car parked at the cemetery. The motive and the precise sequence of events leading to the deadly confrontation were the focus of a diligent law enforcement investigation, as they worked to piece together what had transpired in the peaceful setting of the cemetery. The untimely death of Christopher Dale Stevens sent ripples of shock and grief through the Wise community.
In the wake of the incident, the focus of the investigation quickly led to a suspect. Jared Ray Hash, a 39-year-old from Norton, was questioned by authorities. According to Hash, he was one of four people who had gone to the cemetery that day. Following the investigation, Hash was arrested and faced serious charges, including aggravated malicious wounding and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The legal proceedings that followed sought to bring a measure of justice for Christopher Dale Stevens and his family, addressing the violence that had shattered the community's sense of peace.
