Jacksonville man found guilty for murder of Ashlee Rucker, attempted murder of Lisa Rucker

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A jury has convicted Chad Absher of 1st-degree murder and attempted murder in the 2017 double shooting that left his long-time girlfriend Ashlee Rucker dead and her sister Lisa severely wounded.

It was Halloween night, nearly five years to this day, Chad Absher turned his rifle on his girlfriend Ashlee and Lisa.

Now, just two days before what would have been Ashlee’s 36th birthday, the man who cut her life short, faces the possibility he’ll spend the rest of his in a prison cell.

“It was amazing. It felt really good. You know, we all knew that he was guilty,” said Lisa.

Absher took the stand Thursday and attempted to convince the jury Ashlee was the one who shot Lisa and then shot herself in the back of the head with Absher’s rifle.

Lisa said the claim was unbelievable and she’s thankful the jury felt the same.

“I just don’t know how he thought in his head that that would even make sense,” said Lisa.

Absher faces life in prison, as the death penalty was not pursued by the state.

It’s a punishment Lisa has come to accept.

“After waiting multiple years for the justice that we deserve, I realized that in all actuality it would be worse for him to live out the rest of his life with nothing,” said Lisa.

This Saturday marks what would have been Ashlee’s 36th birthday.

Lisa called this verdict the best birthday present she could have hoped to give her sister.

“I just want to let him know that he took my sister, but it wasn’t just a sister. He took a mother. He changed everybody’s lives by taking her,” said Lisa.

Lisa and other friends and family of Ashlee said they plan to read victim impact statements at Absher’s sentencing next month.

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