Sentence set

A Fort Recovery woman will serve 17.5 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.

Hannah Knapke, 20, was sentenced Wednesday by Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison for the Jan. 12, 2020, death of 31-year-old Shea Briar. She pleaded guilty Sept. 30 and admitted to helping two other Portland women — Shelby N. Hiestand, 20, and Esther J. Stephen, 31  kill Briar. Stephen and Hiestand were convicted by Jay Circuit Court juries earlier this year and each sentenced to 55 years in prison.

Knapke’s plea bargain advised her sentence length with 10 years executed and 7.5 years suspended. She was previously charged with murder.

Three members of Briar’ family read statements to Knapke. Each of them mentioned her interview with police and the video from when police found Briar.

“Not once did I hear you say you were sorry for what you did,” said Tiffany McLaughlin, her voice cracking with emotion. “His name is Shea. He was my nephew, more like a son to me, and I’ll never get over the fact he was taken from us.”

“Hannah, you said in your interview you didn’t even know his name,” said Sharon Taylor, Briar’s grandmother. She proceeded to read his obituary and highlighted his accomplishments.

“I loved Shea as if he were my own son,” Taylor said. “I cherish the memories we made, but there will be no more memories … Could you have made a difference? … Yes, if not only for yourself. You are one of three women who decided Shea should die. Why? Because Shea loved his daughter and wanted to be a part of his life.”

(Stephen shared a child with Briar, and she testified during her trial that Briar had filed paperwork to obtain visitation and change the child’s surname to his.)

Briar’s mother, Tracy Hoevel, hugged Taylor as she walked to the front of the room to speak.

“Twenty-two months ago, Hannah, you made a choice that changed my family’s life forever,” Hoevel said, noting Knapke told police she turned her head as Hiestand shot Briar.

“You didn’t want to see it happen … you could have prevented this, Hannah … now my son is dead, Shea is dead, all because you were too scared to do the right thing.”

Family and friends packed into the courtroom Wednesday to witness Knapke’s sentencing hearing. Most of the benches were filled, with some opting to stand along a wall.

“Look at Shea’s family and friends,” Hutchison said to Knapke. “Look at your family and friends. You hurt every one of them. You could have said no.”

A few tears rolled down Knapke’s cheeks while Briar’s family spoke to her. She then stood and read her own statement.

“I want to start by apologizing to my family and friends,” Knapke said. She began crying, her words unintelligible between sobs, as she addressed Briar’s family. “I can’t imagine the hurt and pain you have been in these past few months … I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me.”

Court documents state Hiestand, Stephen and Knapke picked Briar up from his home in Portland with plans to “hang out” and proceeded in Knapke’s vehicle to a county road 125 West bridge over Loblolly Creek, just south of county road 850 North. There, Stephen distracted Briar, allowing Hiestand to retrieve a gun from the vehicle. Hiestand then shot Briar once in the back. Knapke was standing next to Hiestand at the time of the shooting. Briar was found on the bridge about 2 a.m. Jan. 12 and died later the same day at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne.

Stephen’s appeal, filed in May, was denied by the Indiana Court of Appeals Nov. 12.

In Indiana, voluntary manslaughter, a Level 2 felony, carries a sentence of 10 to 30 years. Murder carries a sentence of 45 to 65 years, with an advisory sentence of 55 years.

“Twenty-two months after Shea’s murder, justice has been served,” Hoevel said in a prepared statement. “Nothing will bring Shea back, but we can now try and move forward by sharing his tragic story and helping the community through the Shea Michael Briar Memorial Fund.”