Terrick Hogan let out a sigh before the courtroom door closed behind him Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Natalie Casdorph breathed a sigh of relief.
Hogan, 26, of Charleston, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a murder charge in the shooting death of her son, Kalvon Casdorph. He was then sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Kalvon Casdorph, 21, was shot to death in January 2015 at a motel in Cross Lanes.
He and Hogan were friends and had been gambling at the Mardi Gras Resort and Casino before going to the motel, according to prosecutors.
"I never intended for anything of this magnitude to occur," Hogan said Tuesday.
Hogan sent Marcus Curtis, 26, of Dunbar, text messages that Kalvon Casdorph had a large sum of money and instructed him to bring a gun and a mask to the motel.
Curtis, who pleaded guilty last year to murder, admitted he shot Kalvon Casdorph twice and stole about $3,000 before fleeing in a car with Hogan and Shayla Stephenson.
Curtis also was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison and, like Hogan, will be eligible for parole after 15 years.
Assistant Kanawha prosecutor Maryclaire Akers said that, despite who pulled the trigger, it was Hogan who orchestrated Kalvon Casdorph's death. Natalie Casdorph wanted the two men to receive the same sentence, Akers told Kanawha Circuit Judge Charles King.
That's especially why prosecutors allowed Hogan a second chance to take the deal.
Hogan had already backed out of the plea deal earlier this year. Jury selection was set to begin in his trial Tuesday.
Natalie Casdorph "has been one of the most forgiving relatives of a victim we've ever had," Akers said.
King on Tuesday was meticulous about explaining Hogan's rights. Before accepting the guilty plea, the judge asked multiple times if he was sure about doing it.
Hogan seemed a little hesitant at times during the hearing. Natalie Casdorph held her breath when Hogan held up his finger instead of immediately answering one of the judge's questions.
"Do you plead guilty or not guilty to the murder of Mr. Casdorph?" King asked.
"Guilty," Hogan eventually said, after whispering into his lawyer's ear.
On Monday, after King denied attempts by Hogan's lawyer, Tim Carrico, to suppress an incriminating statement Hogan had given to police the day he was arrested, the judge told Hogan he needed to have a discussion with his lawyer.
King said he wanted Carrico and Hogan to talk Tuesday morning, before his trial was set to begin, "so [Hogan] can have a clear understanding of where you all are."
Stephenson, the mother of Hogan's child, has not yet been sentenced for her role in the robbery and killing. Stephenson drove Curtis to the motel that day.
She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery and, like Curtis' deal required, would have had to testify against Hogan if he had gone to trial. King had been waiting until Hogan's case was resolved before sentencing Stephenson and Curtis, to be sure of their cooperation.
In exchange for her cooperation, prosecutors dropped murder and first-degree robbery charges she was facing. She faces between one to five years in jail when she's sentenced.
Natalie Casdorph said after court Tuesday that she felt justice had been served.
She was relieved not to have to sit through a trial but added that she hopes Stephenson will be handed a maximum sentence.
Actually, "I think she should be facing the same thing they are," Casdorph's mother said. Stephenson is out of jail on bond awaiting sentencing. It's been painful to see her around Charleston, Natalie Casdorph said. "She acts like she did nothing wrong."
In addition to dropping robbery and conspiracy charges, Akers made part of Hogan's deal include that he would testify against Stephenson and Curtis. The reason why was made clear when Curtis was brought to the courtroom for sentencing.
Curtis has been contemplating backing out of his deal because he didn't want to testify against Hogan, Akers said. But in the end it didn't matter when Hogan pleaded guilty and avoided trial.
Curtis' lawyer said that because of the cooperation clause in the deal, Curtis was in danger at South Central Regional Jail. King said he would try to have him moved to another facility.
Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.