ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A woman was sentenced to prison Wednesday afternoon for her part in the shooting death of Orange County Deputy Sheriff Jonathan Scott Pine.
Erica Pugh pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case.
On Feb. 11, 2014, deputies were investigating reports of car burglaries in the Westminster Landing subdivision. Investigators said that as Pine was questioning Pugh's boyfriend, Ben Holterman, Holterman pulled out a gun and shot Pine. Holterman then killed himself.
Pugh admitted that she and Holterman had been breaking into empty houses to sleep and into cars looking for money and gift cards.
Pugh was charged with first-degree murder in the case but accepted the manslaughter plea deal.
Pine’s family and friends spoke during the hearing.
“My children are young and all I can do now is show them a picture or videos of their father to help remember him,” said Pine’s wife, Bridget Pine.
His widow said she and their three children spend holidays, birthdays and other special occasions at his grave.
She also said Pugh really wasn’t sorry for her role in Pine’s killing.
“There’s no way to describe the pain and sorrow myself, my children, family and friends have to face in these past 11 months and will face for the rest of our lives,” she said.
Some of Pine’s friends and fellow deputies also shared pointed words in the courtroom.
“Scott really was a good person. The biggest shame is you will not be able to meet him for the man he was because he was stolen from us by cowardly thieves,” said Deputy Yuhuda Green.
Pugh will serve 15 years in prison. Had she gone to trial, she would have faced life for felony murder.
“This is the maximum sentence available for the crime of manslaughter,” said WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said he was somewhat dismayed by the sentence.
“It does seem like a light sentence given the circumstances, but that’s the system we live with today,” Demings said.
Before Pugh was sentenced, she had the opportunity to address the court.
She told the deputy’s widow that she’s sorry.
Pugh was remanded to custody immediately.
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