By Chris Dumond
Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: March 27, 2008

BEDFORD — A plea agreement has been reached in the case of a Huddleston woman charged with murder in the death of a Campbell County deputy who crashed his car while pursuing her, according to the Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office.

However, Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney Randy Krantz did not answer questions about the details of the plea agreement or the charges to which Heather Lyn Bush, 27, was expected to plead guilty. Bush’s lawyer, Drew Davis of Bedford, was not immediately available for comment.

Bush, of the 1200 block of Planters Drive, is charged with eluding police, conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and second-degree felony murder.

According to police reports and court records, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jason Lee Saunders, 24, died in the early morning hours of April 3 while trying to catch up with police officers chasing Bush’s vehicle on Johnson Mountain Road from the Altavista area into Bedford County.

Virginia State Police reported that Saunders’ cruiser ran off the road near Orrix Creek Road and struck a tree along the roadway.

Under state law, a person may be charged with murder if someone dies in connection with that person committing a felony.

Bush, who has been jailed at the Bedford Adult Detention Center without bond for nearly a year, was scheduled for a jury trial in late April. The prosecutor’s office said Thursday morning that a plea hearing was scheduled for Friday afternoon.

Felony murder carries a penalty of five to 40 years in prison.