TAZEWELL, Tenn. — A man was sentenced to 45 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in court Monday to murdering Aaron Massengill, District Attorney General Jared Effler said.
Patrick Smith was one of three people arrested in April 2021 after investigators found Massengill's body along Ferguson Ridge Road in Tazewell in Feb. 2021. Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in court Monday.
One of the other two suspects, Courtney Gilpin, pleaded guilty in Claiborne County Criminal Court on Aug. 5, 2022, for her role in the murder. She received a 50-year prison sentence.
The third suspect, Jimmy Riffe, is set to go to trial on June 27, according to Effler.
Massengill disappeared the night of Feb. 16, 2021, in his pickup truck, according to court documents. The investigation spanned several counties in East Tennessee, including Sullivan County. The investigation also reached into Middlesboro, Ky.
"In my 35 years in law enforcement, this has been the most difficult case I've ever been involved with," Claiborne County Sheriff Bobby Brooks said in a past interview with 10News. "I personally have known Aaron and his family for many years. Our hearts are heavy."
Court records suggested the three engaged in a plot to lure Massengill out so they could take his truck.