By BRAD GASKINS

News Editor

DRESDEN – A Sharon wife and the man she allegedly conspired with to kill her husband made brief court appearances Thursday.

Amber Plunk, 27, and Steven D. McMillin, 39, of Trezevant stood side by side before Circuit Judge Bill Acree as their attorneys and prosecutors updated the court on the status of their cases.

Indicted earlier this month by a grand jury, Plunk and McMillin have not entered pleas to charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder

During the brief status hearing, Plunk and McMillan both told the court, through their lawyers, who will represent them.

Plunk will be represented by public defender Skip Riley, while McMillin has retained Jim Powell.

The next hearing is March 14.

They were arrested Oct. 2 with a preliminary hearing Oct. 24 in general sessions court.

Authorities allege the two shot Plunk’s husband, Rusty Plunk, at the Plunk home at 1040 Corinth Road in rural Weakley County.

According to the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department, the county’s 911 dispatch center received two calls from Amber Plunk, starting at 2:29 a.m. She allegedly told dispatchers her husband had been shot but didn’t know who did it.

Rusty Plunk was transported by ambulance to Volunteer Community Hospital in Martin for treatment of a gunshot wound to his chest and a second gunshot wound to his arm. He was later transferred to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville for treatment.

McMillin’s name surfaced during the sheriff’s investigation, and he was picked up at his residence in Trezevant by authorities there.

Amber Plunk allegedly told investigators she had placed a pistol outside the couple’s residence, knowing McMillin was outside, and then awoke her husband and told him she heard a noise outside, according to a news release the sheriff’s office issued after the incident.

At the Oct. 24 preliminary hearing, a defense attorney argued McMillin had no motive or intent to do any harm to Plunk and that there was no evidence of a plan of conspiracy.

McMillin testified that he and his ex-wife allegedly had picked up Amber Plunk before the shooting because she had called claiming her husband was being abusive, then later wanted to go back home. He claimed Amber Plunk had placed a pistol on the porch so her husband couldn’t get to it and alleged Rusty Plunk came out a few minutes later firing a rifle. He said he shot Plunk in self-defense before leaving the scene.

(WCP - 1-24-13)