Plea nets 15 years in prison

By: David Klein Source: Loudon County News-Herald 04-23-2008 A 23-year-old Lenoir City man accepted a plea agreement Monday and will begin serving a prison sentence for his part in the 2007 shooting death of an 18-year-old in Loudon County. Steven A. Bridges was sentenced to 15 years in prison for second-degree murder in the death of Stephen Booth of Lenoir City. Bridges’ attorney, Bruce Poston, had worked out a plea agreement with District Attorney General Russell Johnson in which Bridges waived his right to a trial and accepted a guilty plea at the Loudon County Courthouse. The victim was found with a gunshot wound at the Yarberry Peninsula Recreational Area Sept. 26, 2007, and Bridges was arrested two days later, according to police reports. Two other people, Jessica N. Ward, 22, of Loudon, and Jonathan V. Hurst, 20, of Knoxville, were arrested as well. Sheriff Tim Guider said officials believe Ward lured Booth to the campground early that morning. When Booth and Ward arrived, an alleged robbery attempt by the three suspects led to a struggle in which Booth sustained blunt force injuries before receiving a single, fatal gunshot wound to the back of his head, reports showed. The incident took place between 3:30 a.m. and 5 a.m.; a camper found Booth’s body around 8 a.m., officers reported. Booth had been arrested before on drug charges, records show. However, officials said no drugs or drug paraphernalia were found at the scene. Supporters for both Booth and Bridges were present at the Loudon County Courthouse for Monday’s sentencing. Booth’s family and friends wore T-shirts with a picture and a poem honoring his memory. The two groups sat across from each other and had to leave the courtroom one group at a time following the hearing to avoid confrontation.