‘Everything went black’: Local woman testifies after getting shot, sister murdered

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Day one started in the trial of a Jacksonville man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend and shooting her sister in the face. Lisa Rucker survived to give her testimony Tuesday.

“I didn’t think he was going to shoot me. I thought he was trying to scare me,” Rucker said. “As soon as I went to turn, everything went black. My ears started ringing. All I could hear was the ringing. I couldn’t see anything. I was in and out of consciousness.”

Lisa said Chad Absher had his hand on the trigger of the rifle used to shoot her. He now faces first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

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Ashlee Rucker, the other victim, died after getting shot at 30-years-old on Halloween five years ago. The shooting set police into a city-wide manhunt.

Ashlee’s son, Joseph, was also in the house that day at 9-years-old. He also gave testimony Tuesday and recalled arguing between Ashlee and Absher leading up to the shots fired.

“‘He won’t let her go. He won’t let my mommy go. He’s beating her.’ Those are the words uttered almost five years ago to the day,” said Cameron French, for the State. “He sees his mom deceased, bleeding, not breathing.”

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Lisa and Ashlee Rucker, Joseph, Lisa’s son, and Lisa’s boyfriend were all in their Jacksonville condo the day the shooting occurred.

“The evidence is going to show you some people had motivation to lie. The evidence will show you no people saw Ashlee get shot. And Lisa was the only witness to her own shooting,” Defense Attorney Amanda Edwards said. “Make sure you’re examining everything for what you’re not hearing as well. Because not everything is what it seems.”

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Court will continue with witness testimony on Wednesday.

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