MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A Monongalia County man who was arrested for the shooting death of his wife has pleaded guilty to a murder charge.
Rick Cordes, 52, of Morgantown, has agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder for the shooting death of Jennifer Hribar back in April 2024, which will include a sentence of 30 years in prison. Cordes formally accepted the plea in front of Judge Perri Jo DeChristopher inside Monongalia County Circuit Court on Tuesday, where close to a dozen of Hribar’s family members and friends were in attendance to see him plead guilty.
“No amount of time would have been enough, but at least justice has been served,” said Victor Hribar, Jennifer’s father, after the hearing. “And for my family, it takes a big load off of us, and we can start to finally get our lives somewhat back to order.”
Monongalia County Prosecutor Gabrielle “Gabe” Mucciola addressed the court during the hearing, where she described the events that led to Hribar being shot in the head by Cordes with a .44-caliber revolver inside their home that April weekend, ultimately killing her. This included discovery through an investigation by the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department that mentioned multiple witnesses who stated they were seen in arguments at two separate Cheat Lake area restaurants that got to the point where employees openly expressed concern for Hribar’s safety.
As the incident was described, Hribar’s loved ones held back tears inside the courtroom.
“Jennifer was a very giving, loving person, she had a lot of character,” Hriber remembered his daughter. “She did a lot of things without anybody ever knowing what she did, she never sought recognition, she just liked helping people.”
For friends and family members of Hribar, they want to remember Jennifer as a loving person who would be willing to help others and those she cared about without a personal care for recognition. Pictures of Hribar were shown as Cordes was led out by bailiffs, with those in attendance embracing for over half an hour after court was recessed.
“(I’ll remember) her smile, her deep smile just lit up a room,” Hribar said.
The loved ones in attendance openly expressed appreciation to the investigating detectives as well as the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office for their efforts over the course of just over two years. This included gathering interviews of witnesses within the Cheat Lake area as well as forensic evidence that showed that the only way that Hribar could’ve died was from a gun fired by Cordes. The prosecution’s office’s efforts that, for Hribar’s loved ones, will help them move forward.
“I can’t thank the courts (enough) for how helpful and (for) everything the detectives and prosecutor did,” said Hribar. “We’re very appreciative of that.”