Murder of Jennifer Daugherty

Melvin L. Knight (born October 27, 1989)[3] was born to a drug-addicted father who was imprisoned during the early years of his life. He developed lifelong learning and social problems after he fell out of a moving vehicle and hit his head at age 5.[4]

Angela Lynn Marinucci (born July 14, 1992),[3] according to testimony by her mother and half-sister, Marinucci suffered a head injury when she was hit by a truck in 2008, at the age of 15. The injury substantially altered her behavior and pushed her into a downward spiral that ended with Daugherty's death, according to the defense. Two mental experts testified that Marinucci as a child, suffered from depression and that she may have had drug and alcohol addictions as a teenager.[5]

Meidinger told jurors, "at some point, she [Daugherty] trusted me because she knew me from the West Place (a center for people with special needs)." Meidinger testified she and her then-boyfriend and co-defendant Melvin Knight met Smyrnes on February 8, 2010, after she and Knight had been staying at a Greensburg-area hotel. Knight and Smyrnes knew each other after meeting in jail, and Meidinger was pregnant with Knight's child when all three met up. Smyrnes offered Meidinger and Knight to stay at his apartment at 428 N. Pennsylvania Avenue in Greensburg.[6]

Ricky Ven Edward Smyrnes (born March 6, 1986)[3] was born to a drug-addicted Philadelphia sex worker and a Pittsburgh gang member. He was moved into and out of foster homes as a child and was treated for mental health disorders as early as age 4. He suffered abuse and neglect until he was taken in by the Smyrnes family in North Huntingdon at age 10, according to testimony by forensic psychologist Alice Applegate.[7] His lawyer, Terri Fayes, told the jury that Smyrnes suffered sexual and physical abuse from his father and his uncle. She also explained how he had tried beer, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana by age 6, had been diagnosed with PTSD at age 8, and had undergone 103 therapy sessions by age 10. She added he was diagnosed as having as many as seven different personalities, and 15 total psychiatric issues. In 1997, he burglarized his neighbor's home and stole knives, guitars, coins, bullets, and cash. That same year, he sexually assaulted a woman in her basement.[8]

Several jail inmates testified that Marinucci planned to kill Daugherty several days before her body was discovered. Neighbor Anthony Zappone heard Marinucci say, "I'm going to kill that bitch". He was also sentenced to jail for an unrelated burglary charge. Tina Warrick testified Marinucci told her she was disappointed with the type of Christmas garland Miller purchased to tie Daugherty up and dump her body.[13] Floria Headen heard body slamming and screaming on February 12, 2010.[19] Felisha Hardison, who was a cellmate and friend to Marinucci, testified that she was jumping on her bed, excited to be on the news.[20]

Masters and Meidinger reached a plea bargain to testify.

On April 12, 2012, Knight pleaded guilty to first- and second-degree murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping.[21] On August 30, 2012, a jury deliberated for several hours, before voting to put Knight to death.[22] In September 2014, Knight appealed his sentence.[23] His trial was delayed several times,[24][25][26] and his sentence was upheld in March 2019.[27] In November 2020, Knight attempted to appeal his sentence via the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The appeal included statements and claims that jurors acted with passion and prejudice and arbitrarily imposed the death penalty. However, it was unanimously rejected by the judges.[28]

"Following our thorough review of the record, in this case, we conclude that the appellant’s sentence of death was not the product of passion, prejudice, or any other arbitrary factor, but rather was fully supported by the evidence that (Knight) and his co-defendants held the intellectually disabled victim against her will for several days, during which time they continuously subjected her to myriad forms of physical and emotional torture, eventually stabbing her in the chest, slicing her throat (and) strangling her"

— Debra Todd, [29]

On August 3, 2011, Marinucci was formally given a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole after being found guilty in May of first-degree murder.[30] She was 17 years old at the time of the crime so she was ineligible for the death penalty, as she was still a minor.[30] Marinucci had her life without possibility of parole sentence revoked, due to the 2012 and 2016 supreme court rulings Miller v. Alabama and Montgomery v. Louisiana.[31][32] However, on July 1, 2015, a jury decided to re-sentence her to her previous sentence. Marinucci refused to answer any questions before she attended.[33] In May 2022, Marinucci was resentenced to 60 years to life in prison with parole eligibility in 2070.[34]

On December 4, 2013, Amber Christine Meidinger (born January 12, 1990),[3] was sentenced to 40 to 80 years in prison after pleading guilty to third-degree murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy.[35] Meidinger filed paperwork in November 2019 with the state's Board of Pardons, seeking early termination of her 40- to 80-year prison sentence.[36]

Amber Meidinger almost received the death penalty until she agreed to testify against the others. Westmoreland County District Attorney dropped his effort of the death penalty. Her defense attorney, Tim Dawson, questioned why she wanted to testify.[1] During the testimony, she admitted she lied about the state of her mental health. Meidinger falsely told police officers that she had mental issues.[37]

Peggy Darlene Miller (born February 3, 1983),[38][3] was sentenced to 35 to 74 years.[39]

On February 28, 2013, Smyrnes was sentenced to death. Smyrnes appealed his sentence. In February 2017, a judge upheld his death sentence.[40] His execution was delayed in July 2017.[41]

Robert Loren Masters Jr. (born December 22, 1973)[38][3] pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping on December 19, 2013. Masters was sentenced to 30 to 70 years. Masters' attorney, William Gallishen, helped Masters reach a plea bargain against the other five. After he agreed, he was moved to another jail for protection because other suspects were being held there. He did not publicly share any information related to the plea bargain.[13]