Nearly two years after 24-year-old Charles “Chuck” Carr was shot and killed outside a home in Hermitage, the man responsible — Zechariah Sewell — was sentenced in Mercer County Court. While Sewell received 13 to 35 years in prison for third-degree murder, Carr’s family says the real injustice was how the case was handled.

Sewell pleaded guilty just days before his trial was set to begin. According to police and court documents, the 2023 shooting happened after a fight between Sewell and Carr outside a home on Shadyside Drive. Witnesses said Sewell had left the house but returned after forgetting his cellphone. That’s when the altercation escalated, and Sewell pulled a gun, shooting Carr multiple times at close range.

From the start, the Carr family said they were told by prosecutors that this would be a first-degree murder case.

“We were told from day one we were going to trial,” said Chuck’s mother, Vanessa McWhorter. “It didn’t go as we planned, but we’re accepting the sentence. It was never about the sentence — it was how the case was handled. The system failed us.”

Carr’s father, Thomas McWhorter, said the decision to reduce the charge and accept a plea deal blindsided the family — especially after two years of being led to believe otherwise.

“Our goal today was not about the sentence,” Vanessa said. “It was about the method of the judicial process from day one."

"They took away our right for trial," said Thomas. "They decided what they wanted to do, regardless of what the family wanted.”

The District Attorney’s office says alcohol played a role in the case, which legally ruled out a first-degree murder conviction. But Carr’s family disputes the way that factor was used and says it doesn’t justify the shift in direction.

“He murdered — executed — my son. Eight shots, three feet away,” Vanessa said. “And still, we were denied a trial.”

She believes the DA’s office prioritized its own track record over pursuing full justice for her son.

“If they knew this was their plan all along, it could’ve been resolved in two years. Instead, they dragged us through this.”

Chuck Carr, known affectionately as “Moo,” was a former Hickory High School football star and a devoted father. His family describes him as humble, loyal, and loving — even to the man who ended his life.

“He loved him,” Vanessa said. “Considered him a brother. We all did.”

Now, Chuck Carr’s parents are using their voices to call for change in how justice is pursued.