6 to stand trial in Greensburg torture-slaying
Westmoreland County Judge Rita Hathaway on Tuesday ruled six defendants accused of torturing and killing a mentally challenged Greensburg woman must stand trial.
After three days of testimony, Hathaway denied defense requests to dismiss first-degree homicide and other charges against the six, who are accused of holding 30-year-old Jennifer Daugherty hostage in their apartment while they beat her, shaved her head, forced her to ingest drugs, chemicals and human waste, and stabbed her. Her body, tied with Christmas decorations, was shoved into a garbage can and left outside Greensburg Salem Middle School on North Main Street in Greensburg.
Hathaway heard from one of the suspects, Robert Loren Masters, 36, what Daugherty endured in the apartment at 428 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Masters has a tentative plea agreement with prosecutors.
Masters was charged in the slaying along with Ricky Smyrnes, 24; Melvin Knight, 21; Amber Meidinger, 20; Peggy Darlene Miller, 27; and Angela Marinucci, 18.
The prosecution is seeking the death penalty against Smyrnes, Knight and Meidinger. Hathaway ruled that Smyrnes and Knight will not be tried by the same jury. Each is accused of fatally stabbing Daugherty.
Because Marinucci was 17 at the time of the slaying, she is ineligible for the death penalty.
Daugherty was snared in a love triangle with Smyrnes and Marinucci, suspects and jailhouse informants have told police.
Masters, who for the past month has been housed in an undisclosed jail for his protection, yesterday returned to the witnesses stand to be questioned by defense lawyers.
He talked about three instances during the two days of torture when he and Miller were left alone with Daugherty. He said they were ordered to keep Daugherty trapped.
"Peggy asked me what we should do. I told her we should help," Masters said. "Jen said to tell them she was going to somebody's house so she could go to the hospital so when they came back they wouldn't hurt her and Peggy and me."
But before Daugherty could dress and leave, Marinucci called to check in and refused to grant permission for their hostage to be released, according to Masters.
Even after that call, the injured Daugherty was attempting to dress and leave.
"Melvin and Ricky showed up, about 10 to 20 minutes later," and Knight prevented Daugherty from leaving, Masters testified.
The next day, Smyrnes convened a "family meeting," and all six defendants voted to have Daugherty killed, Masters said.
"I was scared that if I said no, they might come after me," Masters testified.
Masters said he and Miller hid together in a bedroom during most of the day before the murder. The other four roommates would at times come into the room and laugh at what they were doing to Daugherty, Masters said.
Although assistant district attorneys Chuck Washburn and Leo Ciaramitaro refused to discuss a possible plea agreement with Masters, defense lawyer William Gallishen confirmed a tentative deal is in place. He declined to give details.
Miller, whom Masters told Hathaway he was in love with, also is expected to plead guilty. Miller's attorney, Donna McClelland, declined comment on whether a deal has been reached with her client.
Other pretrial issues such as the suppression of statements made to police, testimony from jailhouse informants and other legal issues will be decided at a later date.
