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WENTWORTH — The death of a Stoneville man in June was the result of gunplay, according to testimony Monday morning in Rockingham County Superior Court.

Jeffery Searcy, 48, of 140 Carmel Drive, Stoneville, entered an Alford plea to the charge of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Mark Reno Williams, 40. With the plea, Searcy did not admit guilt but acknowledged there was enough evidence to convict him.

Judge L. Todd Burke sentenced Searcy to six to nine years in prison.

Searcy was initially charged with first-degree murder and later second-degree murder before entering the plea, said defense attorney Jason Ross.

Williams of 151 Carmel Drive was found in the backyard of 340 Young Road in Stoneville on June 24.

Searcy and Williams were at the home of Herbert Bethea on the day of the shooting, according to statements made in court by Rockingham District Attorney Phil Berger Jr. Berger said both men had drunk a significant amount of alcohol.

Blood tests revealed that Williams had a 0.27 blood-alcohol level at the time of his death, Berger said. Searcy was not tested because he was not initially considered a suspect.

Berger said Searcy gave different stories about what happened, including that Williams had threatened to commit suicide. But Berger said Searcy eventually confessed that he was playing with the gun and it went off, striking Williams.

Williams was shot in the head, Ross said. Ross asked Burke to consider work release for Searcy, who he said had no felony convictions. Burke denied that request.

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 627-4881, Ext. 126, or jonnelle.davis@news-record.com