Vandergrift woman's murder trial ends with plea deal to lesser charge

A Vandergrift woman pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree murder, putting an end to her homicide trial during which prosecutors claimed she intentionally fired three shots, killing her cousin in 2018.

Ashley Marie Croft, 38, will serve a 15- to 30-year prison sentence under terms of the plea deal.

Croft did not speak during the brief hearing as jurors gathered to hear evidence in what was to be the second day of her trial. Defense attorney Pat Thomassey blamed marijuana use for Croft’s actions and spoke out about the growing movement to legalize use of the drug.

Croft suffered from a drug-induced psychosis related to her use of marijuana and prescription medications for mental health issues when she shot and killed 31-year-old John Edward Smail of Greensburg in the doorway of her Vandergrift home, Thomassey said. Croft was diagnosed with mental illness at 12 and had been prescribed as many as 10 different medications at the time of the shooting, Thomassey said in his opening statement to jurors last week.

“But for the use of cannabis, this would have never happened. There was no animosity towards this man,” Thomassey said Monday morning. “It’s a problem and it’s not good, this medical marijuana. All these people who talk about medical marijuana, it’s all about making money.”

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears, who presided over Croft’s case and approved the plea deal, agreed with Thomassey’s assessment of medical marijuana use in society.

“You have a very good point. There is a lot of self medicating going on by people who are not trained to do it,” Mears said.

Croft had no recollection of firing the shots that killed her cousin Oct. 18, 2018, Thomassey said. Witnesses testified they heard Croft claim she awoke after smoking marijuana with Smail, could not breathe and believed she was about to die.

An upstairs neighbor who testified told jurors Croft carried a gun into her backyard, and then she heard gunshots.

Prosecutors said they could not prove why Croft killed Smail, only that they believed she had an intent to do so.

In a statement released following Monday’s hearing, District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said the plea deal was the appropriate outcome. Prosecutors initially sought a first-degree murder conviction, which carries a mandatory life prison term.

“While Ms. Croft’s mental illness is not an excuse for her crime, it was a major factor my office took into heavy consideration before offering this plea. I believe the sentence properly balances the community’s need for safety and the punishment of Ms. Croft while addressing and considering her significant mental health concerns. I hope the resolution of this case today brings Mr. Smail’s family closure and some peace to such an act of senseless violence,” Ziccarelli said.

Smail’s family and friends, who attended the trial’s opening day last week and were again in court Monday, approved of the plea deal. They did not speak during the hearing and declined comment outside the courtroom.

“It’s such as a sad case, and it was so unnecessary,” Mears told Smail’s supporters. “She has taken responsibility. It was such as bizarre act in this case, such an unexplainable result, and it’s difficult for me to understand.”