The youngest member of a group of six Greensburg roommates convicted in the torture and murder of a mentally disabled woman nearly a decade ago will be sentenced for the third time in December.
Angela Marinucci, 27, has twice before been sentenced to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in the stabbing death of 30-year-old Jennifer Daugherty. And twice, state appeals courts have overturned that sentence, saying it was improper because Marinucci was 17 at the time of her arrest.
Marinucci was convicted of first-degree murder in 2012. Prosecutors said she helped lure Daugherty to Greensburg and was instrumental in holding her captive for more than two days when the group beat, humiliated and tortured her before the fatal stabbing.
After a brief hearing on Wednesday, Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rita Hathaway said Marinucci will be resentenced in December.
County District Attorney John Peck said he has not determined if the prosecution will again seek a life prison term.
“If (Marinucci) had been an adult (at the time of her arrest), we would have sought the death penalty,” Peck said.
Two of Marinucci’s co-defendants — Melvin Knight, 29, of Swissvale, and Ricky Smyrnes, 33, of North Huntingdon — were sentenced to death for their roles in the slaying. Three others — Amber Meidinger, 29, Peggy Miller, 36 and Robert Masters, 46 — cooperated with prosecutors, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and were ordered to serve decades in prison but will be eligible for parole.
Defense attorney Michael DeMatt said he will seek a sentence that will enable Marinucci to eventually be released from prison.
“A life sentence is still a possibility, but the recent court rulings make it less and less likely,” DeMatt said.
In order to impose another life sentence, Peck said the judge will have to determine that Marinucci cannot be rehabilitated.
“It’s an extremely high standard,” Peck said.
Juveniles convicted of first-degree murder after 2011 in Pennsylvania now face maximum penalties of 35 years to life in prison. That is a standard that could be adopted by the judge, although she could also impose other consecutive sentences for convictions to companion charges of conspiracy and kidnapping, Peck said.
