By james art 
A Louisville man will serve 30 years in prison after pleading guilty Monday, Nov. 4, to killing his friend earlier this year. Benjamin Michael Abscher, 29, was first arrested in May 2024.
He will have to serve his entire sentence in prison and will be assessed court costs in the case.
Absher, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, was initially arrested on a charge of attempted first-degree murder on May 8 after Blount County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a shooting in Louisville. Upon arrival, they found 63-year-old Sammy E. Garland Jr. outside his home. He suffered gunshot wounds, including one to the eye, and was conscious when law enforcement arrived, according to a police report.
Absher told deputies he fired, believing Garland had sexually assaulted him. According to court documents, the two shared an address. While Garland was rushed to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, witnesses told investigators that Absher had argued with the older man before the shooting.
An audio recording from Absher’s phone matched witness accounts, Blount County District Attorney Ryan Desmond told the court Monday. Absher was arrested and charged with attempted murder.
Deputies found a black Springfield XD 9mm handgun at the crime scene. Seven shell casings were also found.
Garland succumbed to his injuries after 10 days in the intensive care unit. Desmond said an autopsy determined the cause of death to be “multiple gunshot wounds.”
Law enforcement subsequently upgraded Absher’s charges, increasing his bail to $1 million.
On Monday, Absher sat quietly with his attorney as Garland’s family read victim impact statements in court. One woman said she struggled to sleep after the murder. Another said Garland was one of the nicest people he knew.
“I never thought we’d have to protect him from a friend,” she said.