A guilty plea entered in Greenbrier County Circuit Court on Monday, Feb. 25, brought closure to the homicide case of Shaela Lynn (McCoy) Abren, 25, of Raleigh County.

The case originated from January 2018, when local authorities responded to reports of a deceased body found behind an uninhabited residence on Anthony Road. The State Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on the body and the cause of death was ruled to be a homicide. Abren was identified as the victim.

Thomas Ray Dunbar, 37, of Gap Mills, pled guilty to first degree murder, and was sentenced to life in prison with mercy. This means Dunbar will be eligible to file for parole after 15 years of incarceration. His possibility for release will be dependent on the parole board.