Saturday, July 11, 2009
Thaxton woman sentenced to prison in 2008 shooting
Sandra Faye Campbell was accused of luring a man to her home, where another man shot him.
BEDFORD -- A Thaxton woman will spend six years in prison for her role in a January 2008 shooting.
Sandra Faye Campbell, 48, lured Jessie Phillips to her home on Jan. 2 where he was shot in the face several times by another man, Deepraj Khan, according to the prosecution's case.
In April, Campbell offered what's known in Virginia as an Alford plea, acknowledging there was enough evidence to convict her although she maintains her innocence.
"I didn't have anything to do with getting Jessie shot," she told the judge Friday afternoon.
Campbell, Khan and Campbell's daughter, Amanda Lynn Campbell, all were charged with aggravated malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Khan and Amanda Campbell will be tried later this month.
The incident was precipitated by some type of an altercation between Campbell and Phillips the day before.
Sandra Campbell "was just as responsible in this case as the actual shooter," said special prosecutor Aaron Lavinder, the assistant Roanoke County commonwealth's attorney who took the case because a conflict emerged in the Bedford County commonwealth attorney's office.
County Circuit Court Judge James Updike sentenced Campbell to 16 years in prison Friday, which will be suspended after she serves six years. Her criminal history includes assault and battery, grand larceny and burglary.
Updike also ordered 10 years of probation, no contact with the victim, no use of drugs or alcohol after her release and restitution paid to a fund that covered Phillips' medical expenses.
After the sentencing Friday afternoon, Phillips said the punishment was insufficient.
"I was actually hoping for a little more," he said.
Campbell has been held without bond in Blue Ridge Regional Jail since shortly after the incident occurred in January 2008.
"I spent the last 18 months in jail trying to figure out where that gun come from," she said.
Lavinder said the weapon was never recovered.





