Two men were each sentenced to three years in prison in Rappahannock Circuit Court Thursday after pleading guilty to multiple charges linked to a December 2021 shooting in Washington where they shot into a home occupied by six people.
Judge Dennis L. Hupp sentenced Cameron Melot, 20, of Rixeyville and Zachary Jenkins, 20, of Culpeper to the mandatory three years for use of a firearm in commision of attempted malicious wounding which includes time served awaiting trial and sentencing.
Sentences for their other charges — destruction of property, shooting into an occupied dwelling and attempted malicious wounding — were suspended as long as both parties follow the conditions of their parole, according to the plea agreements made with Commonwealth’s Attorney Art Goff. Goff did not pursue the charge of attempted aggravated murder.
According to documents filed in the Circuit Court by the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Jenkins and Melot were at a 7-Eleven in Culpeper Dec. 18 with a friend, Abigail Murphy, 20, when Murphy and Richard Green, 20, an acquaintance, got into an argument, in which Murphy “attacked Green with a knife,” according to the prosecution.
After the altercation, according to the documents, Murphy drove Melot and Jenkins to Melot’s mother’s home where the men retrieved two firearms and then drove to 92 Flatwood Lane in Washington, where Green was residing with his juvenile girlfriend and her family.
Melot was described as “seemingly insane,” screaming and yelling that he “was going to kill some people,” on the drive to Rappahannock County, according to the prosecution’s evidence. Once they arrived at Green’s home, Murphy said the two men disappeared from her sight, then she heard gunfire, according to prosecution documents.
Shots were fired into Green’s residence, entering near where several of the occupants were in bed.
Melot initially was the only one arrested. According to records filed by the prosecution, several months later, after being advised to do so by her attorney, Murphy came forward and told police Jenkins was also involved in the shooting, and he was arrested.
Ireland Hayes is a reporter for Foothills Forum, a nonprofit organization that supports local news in Rappahannock County.
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