Greensburg woman's sentence in 2010 torture killing upheld

Jan. 11—The 60 years-to-life prison sentence being served by a Greensburg woman for her role in the 2010 torture killing of Jennifer Daugherty has been upheld by a state appeals court.

In an opinion released Thursday, a three-judge panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court rejected a defense request to invalidate the sentence imposed in 2022 against Angela Marinucci.

Marinucci, 31, is one of six Greensburg roommates who were convicted in the slaying of 30-year-old Daugherty in February 2010.

Marinucci was 17 when she was arrested in connection with allegations that she and five others held the mentally disabled Daugherty captive for more than two days before she was stabbed to death and discarded in a trash can left under a truck in a snow-­covered school parking lot.

Prosecutors claim Marinucci initiated the torture of Daugherty and coerced the others to participate in the abuse and, ultimately, her killing.

Following a 2011 trial, Marinucci was convicted of first-­degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. She was resentenced in 2015 after state appeals courts ruled that, because she was a juvenile at the time of her arrest, she could not receive a mandatory life prison sentence.

Another appeals court invalidated a second life sentence reimposed in 2017, also saying it was unconstitutional because it did not provide for Marinucci's potential parole.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Rita Hathaway sentenced Marinucci for a third time in 2022 and ordered her to serve 40 years to life for Daugherty's murder and consecutive 20- to 40-year sentences for conspiracy.

In imposing that sentence, the judge said Marinucci had not taken responsibility for her actions and defended the lengthy prison term as a proper outcome based on the facts of the case.

Marinucci's attorneys claimed that sentence violated state laws, was excessive and based on the judge's personal bias.

The appeals court disagreed.

"As noted by the trial court, appellant's sentence, given her status as a juvenile at the time of the torture-murder, is wholly consistent with her culpability in the range of sentences imposed on her fellow conspirators. The two with whom she shared the most culpability received death sentences, and the others received lesser terms than (Marinucci)," according to the court opinion.

Westmoreland County juries imposed death sentences against Melvin Knight, 33, of Swissvale and Ricky Smyrnes, 37, of North Huntingdon.

Amber Meidinger, 34, of Greensburg pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and is serving a 40- to 80-year prison sentence. Meidinger served as a key prosecution witness during the trials for Marinucci, Knight and Smyrnes.

Peggy Miller, 40, and Robert Masters Jr., 50, also pleaded guilty to third-degree murder. Miller was sentenced to 35 to 74 years in prison, and Masters was ordered to serve 30 to 70 years behind bars.

Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.