A Rainelle woman is facing charges after deputies say she shot her boyfriend inside a van and attempted to mislead investigators by claiming it was a random attack.
According to the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded around 5:13 p.m. Monday to a home on Eleventh Street, where John Booker Lafferty was found with gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen. Lafferty initially told deputies he had been shot by an unknown person while walking nearby, but investigators determined his story did not match the evidence.
Deputies discovered a .22-caliber revolver inside a backpack in the van. After being confronted, Lafferty admitted that his girlfriend, Stephanie Faye Bennett, had shot him. Bennett told deputies the gun discharged while Lafferty grabbed it from her purse.
Investigators say the couple then agreed to fabricate a false story, hid the gun, and did not call 911, even though two cell phones were in the vehicle.
Based on the evidence and statements, deputies charged Bennett with malicious assault. She was processed at the Lewisburg Detachment and taken to Southern Regional Jail to await arraignment.
The investigation is ongoing, and further details will be released as they become available.