GUILTY PA - Jennifer Daugherty, 30, Held Captive, Tortured To Death, Greensburg, 11 Feb 2010 *appeal 2022 denied*

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That is a frighting idea to mix the mentally "challenged" with people who are just mentally ill..

and it seems one of these people came off the internet, one of the women was corresponding with him or something, so who knows what he was "into"??
What a group that could so easily be infiltrated by a clever predator/s

This country is in dire need of more than new "names" for these conditions...IMHO we need to put some thought and money into the problem of the mentally ill....in the long run it costs us anyhow, law enforcement, courts and prisons where they end up

Some of these people might be followers, but it seems like there were a few ringleaders, having these social centers that "mix and mingle" the 2 groups is unreal...what a mess that must make. Not to mention that there are 2 babies on the way, and who is going to take care of them, no doubt they will have problems...the state will have to step in somehow

I want to explore some of these ideas on the spotlight forum thanks
 
A couple of responses to some of the questions brought up. It's not easy to obtain guardianship on an adult without their permission. Without guardianship, a parent has no control over where a young adult with disabilities goes. I have no doubt that Jennifer's family was not comfortable with her level of freedom. The system does not care what her family wanted. They are mandated to give Jennifer what she wanted.

If you've had any contact in the last few years with a DDS agency, it's all about autonomy and freedom. Older teens and young adults complete a process called a "Person Centered Plan" where their desires are mapped out and community resources are used to meet them. Parents' wishes often come in dead last and can be the only wishes that have anything to do with personal safety.

Developmental disabilities are not all the same. Hollywood has led us to believe that many with DD can be self sufficient, loving, and fun. This is rarely the reality. Because so many DDs are caused by prenatal damage or substance abuse, people with DD have a vast amount of spikes and valleys in their ability to deal with everyday life and stressors.

I have been frequently shocked by those who claim that the DD population can't possibly figure out the bus system, drug sales, prostitution, joining and being active on MS or FB. They can and do!!!! Just because you have a cognitive level of a third grader does NOT been that you can't push the envelope in living a provocative, risky life-style, have a web presence, and make money illegally. We sell our DD population short if we think that way.

With good fortune and an extremely dedicated family, those with DD can also live a fruitful and upstanding life. But the person with DD must choose that path. It's a daily gamble as each human being is unique.
 
Laura--I'm embarrassed of myself but I had to laugh. Lice is a never-ending problem for those with DD. Kids and adults who are cognitively challenged often are not careful about hygiene, hug to "excess", and share brushes and hats. Just one of the pitfalls that anyone who works with people with this challenge deals with frequently. Very much like second grade....forever.

I also wanted to address something that Believe brought up. I don't doubt that Jennifer craved some freedom. Oftentimes, teens who have grown up overly protected by parents and special ed staff, go a little overboard while seeking out adult companionship. If you mix in hormones, adult sized bodies, the ability to buy drugs and alcohol and a place of privacy.....you're going to come up with a deadly mix. I don't judge Jennifer as she was really just a child and made mistakes she could never grasp were dangerous. But I do understand. I also really relate to her parents and to the parents of the perpetrators of this murder.
 
MissIzzy, Great post I agree with everything you said. Lice is not a good thing. With it not being treated properly, it will continue to pass on to people and it is very hard to get rid of once one has it. I posted that because I thought maybe it had something to do with the reason Jennifers head was shaved. I'm not sayng it did, but they did find Jennifers hair in a bag that was shaved in the apartment.

I don't have an issue with Jennifer or her family I do not blame them at all they have done nothing wrong and deserve justice. I do feel these people knew exactly what they did. I have been trying to keep up with the news articles, so when the case go's to trial will all have a clear understanding of everything that occured. This case really disgusts me, obviously these individuals where capable of being on there own and knew right from wrong. They thought they would get away with it, by making Jennifer write that suicide note.
 
ITA Laura and think the lice probably is somehow connected with the head shaving. Just like primary school kids, things probably started out OK and turned ugly. My husband has a great way of describing this. He says that some people don't have temporing valves--they need to be told when "enough is enough". This applies to all sorts of unrelated issues in their lives and is not always connected with the very real disability of OCD.

Oftentimes, people with DD will need to be reminded to control their eating, when they've laughed long enough, how long to hug, how long to wash their hands. They can get stuck and sometimes escalate. They won't tickle someone once, they'll try it ten times as they get more and more excited, all while not listening to stop.

That's where supervision comes in. People with DD also don't always pick up subtle (and even not so subtle) clues or body language. We aren't subtle with our kids with DD. We don't say, "I think you might have eaten enough of those cookies. Aren't you full?" We say, "Three cookies and close up the bag, now."

We call kids on personal space issues. If someone is being bothered and others won't give them space, we'll call a time out (we use sign language along with words) and very clearly say, "Stop. Step back. What did she just say? What do you need to do?"

It breaks my heart because what could have started benignly or even in good humor went horribly awry due to lack of authoritative direction and supervision. A single monitor or aid could have prevented this.

I'm no hopeful that this case gets the attention it deserves on the legislative floor and in training and community programs across the US.
 
LogicalMinds said:
That is a frighting idea to mix the mentally "challenged" with people who are just mentally ill..

and it seems one of these people came off the internet, one of the women was corresponding with him or something, so who knows what he was "into"??
What a group that could so easily be infiltrated by a clever predator/s

This country is in dire need of more than new "names" for these conditions...IMHO we need to put some thought and money into the problem of the mentally ill....in the long run it costs us anyhow, law enforcement, courts and prisons where they end up

Some of these people might be followers, but it seems like there were a few ringleaders, having these social centers that "mix and mingle" the 2 groups is unreal...what a mess that must make. Not to mention that there are 2 babies on the way, and who is going to take care of them, no doubt they will have problems...the state will have to step in somehow

I want to explore some of these ideas on the spotlight forum thanks
Click to expand...

And no supervision? :waitasec: How can anyone leave mentally challenged people without any supervision?

We had 2 in my neighborhood a brother and sister.
Mentally challenged - grand ma used to go to work and since one was 5 years older he baby sat. We were all friendly with them - they were still kids. One day when the sister was 12 she told one of the pregnant neighbors - I know where babies come from - and proceeded to point at her vagina...
She said MY brother and I are going to have a baby one day....
At first the neighbor was thinking she is dreaming about the future.
But no... this kid told another neighbor my brother and I "Do it all the time so much fun"..... someone got a hold of grandma and talked to her and she refused to believe it.
Some time later Social Services was called...And they all said it is a lie, these kids somehow found out it is not good to tell. The following summer they were out and I heard them tell my neighbor with whom they became friendly....Don't tell but my brother had to move in with my uncle and my grandma has to go to the hospital, so my brother is coming to sleep over, so much fun. My neighbor said yes I have not seen him where has he been? and she said well the family thought maybe he should live with my uncle, but we do it in my uncle's car anyway.

We have not seen them in years, but I would not be surprised if she got pregnant. :( :( or at least that is what we all thought.
One neighbor ran into her 2 summers ago and asked how she is doing and she said she had a new boyfriend
and her brother does not like him, because boyfriend told her she cant do it with the brother anymore.

Who is watching these poor people?????
 
There was a rally today outside of the Westmoreland County Courthouse which is about 2 blocks from where Jennifer was found in a trash can. The rally had about 35 people that were holding signs stating "Justice for Jennifer". I am praying that these protesters were not privy to information that the monsters that killed Jennifer are going to plead insanity. This should probably be expected, but it is still very upsetting to think about how they will claim insanity as a defense.
 
Graphic Tapes Describe Jennifer Daugherty's Torture Death
6 Homicide Suspects Appear In Westmoreland County Court

POSTED: 5:48 am EST March 4, 2010
UPDATED: 1:19 pm EST March 4, 2010

GREENSBURG, Pa. -- None of the six people charged in Jennifer Daugherty's torture killing said a word as they arrived at a Greensburg district judge's courtroom Thursday, but a graphic police statement by one of them spoke volumes about what happened to the mentally disabled woman inside a local apartment last month.

County detectives said they interviewed 20-year-old Melvin Knight hours after the 30-year-old Daugherty's body was found stuffed in a trash can in the parking lot of Greensburg Salem Middle School on Feb. 11. His statement was taken by Detective Richard Kranitz.

On the tape, which was played in court, Knight described in great detail how the woman was tortured over the span of 36 hours before she was killed at an apartment where some of the suspects live on North Pennsylvania Avenue.

NOTE: Graphic details from the tape are below.

According to Knight's statement, it started when Daugherty hit on 23-year-old Ricky Smyrnes -- at which point, Smyrnes' 17-year-old girlfriend, Angela Marinucci, and 20-year-old Amber Meidinger got angry and beat Daugherty's head against a bathroom wall.

Knight said he and others joined in -- including Smyrnes, who beat her with a crutch, and Meidinger, who kicked and stomped on her stomach, according to the taped statement.

"Amber had stomped on her stomach and said, 'Now you know how you feel when a pregnant woman gets punched in the stomach,' and then I stomped on her stomach," Knight said on the tape.

Knight also told police that Daugherty was tied up and forced her to ingest different mixtures of liquids that included urine. He said there was a "family meeting" about what she would be allowed to drink.

"One drink had Amber's feces, Angie's pee, soap and oil," Knight said.

Daugherty was given sleeping pills and antibiotics and was complaining of stomach pains and begging to go home, according to Knight, who said they decided to kill her so she wouldn't talk about what had happened.

"Ricky asked if she wanted to die," Knight said on the police tape. "She said, 'No.' He said, 'Well, why are you letting us do this?'"

"Ricky went and got a knife and told me to stab her," Knight said on the tape. "I hesitated a little bit, and then I stabbed her in the chest three times. Then Ricky said, 'Dang, the (expletive) is still alive,' so I stabbed her again."

"Is she dead yet? I just want her to be dead," Marinucci yelled, according to Knight's tape.

Knight laughed out loud in court when he heard the portion of his taped statement about the stabbing. Smyrnes sat nearby, visibly upset, and Daugherty's family sobbed.

more here

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/22737470/detail.html

ETA: I looked at the reporter's tweets on the hearing....it's horrific what's being said in court.
 
I'm sorry but we all bear some responsibility here. Society MUST meet the needs of the mentally challenged or we'll just have to keep dealing with these tragedies. It starts with birth control for those who should not have a child--not forced sterilization, but easy access and long acting birth control. If a child with a developmental disability is born (especially a child with a behavioral component), there must be early intervention and family support to reach that child.

More funds have to be pumped into special ed and services. More funds have to be channelled into community centers, adult foster homes, and training/work centers. If you don't want your tax dollars going to these services, deaths like Jennifer's will be the outcome.

Not a single thing said in that courtroom surprised me in the least. It disgusted me and saddened me but it didn't surprise me. This is the act of grown human bodies with a 5 year old brain. It's a dangerous combination when mixed in with hormones, drugs, alcohol, sex, and lack of supervision.

For all the times I talk about how I love my precious children (and I do!!) this is the sort of thing that would have happened with four or five of them if they'd been left alone to their devices. It's sickening. But leave a group of drunk 2nd graders alone and see what happens to the weakest and most vulnerable of the bunch.

Absolutely tragic. Rest in peace, Jennifer. My prayers go out to all the families.
 
the latest on news today............
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/22952398/detail.html

a snip~~~~~
John Peck said he'll decide whether to pursue capital punishment when the suspects are formally arraigned April 23 in the killing of 30-year-old Jennifer Daugherty on Feb. 10.

Melvin Knight, 20, Ricky Smyrnes, 23, Angela Marinucci, 17, Amber Meidinger, 20, Peggy Darlene Miller, 27, and Robert Loren Masters, 39 are all facing charges in connection with Daugherty's death.
 
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_684947.html

Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck will seek the death penalty against two men and one woman accused of torturing and killing a mentally disabled Greensburg woman.

Peck filed notice yesterday that he will ask jurors to sentence Ricky V. Smyrnes, 24; Melvin L. Knight, 20; and Amber C. Meidinger, 20, to death by lethal injection, if convicted, because they tortured the victim.

The three — along with Peggy Darlene Miller, 27; Robert Loren Masters, 36; and Angela Marinucci, 17 — are charged with first- and second-degree homicide in the stabbing death of Jennifer Daugherty, 30, in a Greensburg apartment the defendants shared. Police say the group stuffed her body in a plastic garbage can and dumped it in the parking lot of Greensburg Middle School, where it was found Feb. 11, according to police.
 
I have no words right now other than ... I hope something can be learned in all this tragedy .. such a dam shame!!!
 
I'm really confused here. Have the IQs been released on the defendants? I know that they've been described as developmentally disabled. If they qualified for some form of services due to their disability, they can't face the death penalty. The legal definition of "mental retardation" (soon to be called cognitively challenged) is an IQ of 69 or lower or a disability rendering one to function at a level equal to that. That level is required to be assessed before one can access the services or receive SSI on an MR diagnosis.

The Supreme Court has ruled that those with a diagnosis of mental retardation cannot be put to death.

Just wondering if anyone can clarify this for me. Such a tragedy all around.
 
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