A Wolfe County judge has sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for the 2020 shooting death of his friend during a vacation in Red River Gorge, following a recommendation from a Wolfe County jury.The Commonwealth Attorney's Offic e for the 39th Judicial Circuit announced Tuesday that Judge Lisa Whisman sentenced Troy Dunkelberger to 20 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter, the maximum sentence allowed under Kentucky law for the offense. Prosecutors said Dunkelberger must serve 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.The sentencing marks the latest chapter in a case that has drawn attention across Kentucky courts for several years.According to court records, the shooting occurred in June 2020 during a group vacation at Red River Gorge in Wolfe County. Dunkelberger, of West Chester, Ohio, was vacationing with family and friends, including 31-year-old Jarron Slayback of Cincinnati, when an argument broke out outside a cabin in the Zoe community.Kentucky State Police said Dunkelberger shot Slayback during the confrontation, killing him. Court documents later showed Slayback was struck multiple times. Dunkelberger claimed he believed Slayback was reaching for a weapon, though the object turned out to be a flashlight, according to court records.A Wolfe County jury convicted Dunkelberger of first-degree manslaughter in 2023 and recommended a 20-year prison sentence. However, the case took a turn in March 2025 when the Kentucky Supreme Court overturned the conviction, ruling the trial court improperly instructed jurors that Dunkelberger could be considered the "initial aggressor." The court found that evidence presented at trial, including allegations that Dunkelberger yelled Slayback's name and displayed a holstered firearm before the shooting, did not justify that instruction.The Supreme Court sent the case back for further proceedings and stated that if the same evidence were presented at a new trial, the initial aggressor instruction should not be used.Following those proceedings, a Wolfe County jury again found Dunkelberger guilty of first-degree manslaughter and recommended the maximum sentence, which Judge Whisman formally imposed this week, according to the Commonwealth Attorney's Office. ...read more read less