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Jennifer Daugherty: Disabled Woman Tortured, Killed by "Friends"
30-year-old mentally disabled Jennifer Daugherty was brutally tortured and killed by people she believed to be friends after being kidnapped on Monday, February 8. Six people were charged with criminal homicide, kidnapping, and related charges after Daugherty's body was found Thursday at Greensburg Salem Middle School.
Robert Loren Masters Jr., 36, Ricky Smyrnes, 23, Melvin Knight, 20, Amber Meidinger, 20, Peggy Darlene Miller, 27, and a 17-year-old girl are all being held without bond in the Westmoreland County prison for their crimes.
Jennifer Daugherty was fed a variety of substances including vegetable oil, spices, detergent, urine and medications. She was then forced to write a suicide note before she was stabbed, wrapped in plastic, and finally dumped in a garbage bin in the school parking lot.
According to an affidavit, Daugherty's head was shaved, she was bound by christmas decorations, hit with a crutch, towel rack, and a vacuum cleaner hose.
Daugherty's step-father, Bobby Murphy, stated that she had the mental abilities of a 12- to 14-year-old. Murphy also said that Daugherty had asked to spend the night at "Peggy's" house on Monday night with plans to return home on Tuesday. She had recently become involved in a community center where she met some friends whose names matched up with the suspects. "I don't know 'em personally, but Jennifer mentioned some of their names as being her friends - but evidently not," Murphy said.
All six suspects fessed up to their involvement and implicated one another, according to police.


Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (14)
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Jen Chip (not verified)at 14:52 on February 12th, 2010
This is absolutely heartbreaking. What kind of person has the capacity to do this to another human being? I hope all of those involved rot in hell.
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Corinne Bryant (not verified)at 17:00 on February 12th, 2010
Save taxpayer's money. No trial, just execution by the same methods they used on this poor woman.
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John martin (not verified)at 17:53 on February 12th, 2010
This is why we need the death penalty. Those involved in this poor woman's death must pay with their own lives. Maybe the next sadistic,selfish, demonic person will think twice about killing an innocent person.
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James Apperson (not verified)at 19:41 on February 12th, 2010
This is a regular type of event in America.Here's an article from 2007, talking about how it keeps happening:images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=mylifeofcrime.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/6-suspects.jpg&imgrefurl=mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/2007/09/10/23-year-old-woman-held-captive-and-tortured-for-a-week-6-suspects-arrested-9107-big-creek-wv/&usg=__LMl7Qf4eXnnSsppJ28IAftMzp9k=&h=310&w=413&sz=28&hl=en&start=7&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=F5vnGp_VS6cl8M:&tbnh=94&tbnw=125&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpa%2Bwoman%2Btortured%2Bfriends%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1
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James Apperson (not verified)at 19:43 on February 12th, 2010
okLet's try this again-------------mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/2007/09/10/23-year-old-woman-held-captive-and-tortured-for-a-week-6-suspects-arrested-9107-big-creek-wv/
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Horrified (not verified)at 07:03 on February 13th, 2010
Cut these people out of society by execution (public hanging would be too good for them) as you would cut a cancerous tumor out of a body.
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katiw (not verified)at 09:12 on February 13th, 2010
RIP jennifer dougherty
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marie smith (not verified)at 07:41 on February 14th, 2010
jennifer was a good hearted girl and she was my best friend. she always made me laugh and when i'd be down she would be there for me. rest in peace jen.
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Elishia Windfohrat 00:47 on March 5th, 2010
update to story
The Ricky Conferssion on tape! outrage !!!! http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/video/22747929/index.html
MelvinKnight was escorted out of the hearing by himself, and taken in a separate Sheriff’s van back to the prison. His behavior in court was defiant, and his was the only one of the six suspects wearing yellow. According to the Westmoreland County Prison, yellow denotes he caused enough trouble there that he was disciplined. As the other five were taken out in handcuffs and leg shackles, the emotions of bystanders came spilling out.
Screams from the crowd: “God’s going to judge you one day.” “I hope they all rot in hell.” “You’re a murderer.” Notes from the courtroom: Disturbing details revealed today in the murder of 30 year old Jennifer Daugherty. County Detectives played a tape recorded confession of suspect Melvin Knight. It is a key piece of evidence at the preliminary hearing being held right now inside Judge James Albert’s district court for all six suspects. It details 36 hours of torture in an apartment on Pennsylvania Ave in Greensburg that ended on February 11th. Knight continuously laughed out loud in the courtroom today, and was scolded several times by Sheriff’s deputies while the tape played. Meantime,
Jennifer Daugherty’s family sobbed. For clarity, here are the names of the suspects: Melvin Knight, his pregnant girlfriend Amber Meidinger, Peggy Miller and her boyfriend Robert Masters, and Ricky Smyrnes who was involved with Angela Marinucci. Knight refers to them by first names on the tape. He claims a fight between the girls and Daugherty erupted over jealousy for her feelings for Ricky. From his confession:
It began when Amber and Angela beat her head against the wall in the bathroom. Ricky smacked her with a crutch, and Amber kicked and stomped on her stomach. He then says the six had a “family meeting” about what they would allow her to drink. He said Peggy would only allow her water, and pills that he thought were antibiotics. Melvin said her made her drink a cup of his urine. That was Tuesday. By Wednesday she was complaining about stomach pains, and begging to go home.
Knight claims Ricky told her “you’re not going home because you’ll run and go tell someone.” At that point he said he was ordered by Ricky to cut her hair off with scissors, tie her up with Christmas lights, and move her to the bathroom in case she threw up from what they were about to make her drink: Amber’s feces, Angie’s urine, soap and oil. He says she did in fact throw up.
Jennifer was then given sleeping pills, and asked by Ricky is she wanted to die. She said no. And then Ricky asked, “then why are you letting us do this?” He says Ricky got a knife and ordered him to stab Jennifer. “I hesitated for a little while then I stabbed her.” He laughed out loud in the courtroom when he heard himself on tape say “the (expletive) wouldn’t die, so I stabbed her again.”
The autopsy revealed she died from 7 stab wounds to the upper left chest. He says Angie yelled: “is she dead yet? I just want her to be dead.” He said he, Amber, Angie, Robert and Peggy had a discussion about burning the body. Instead, he and Ricky put her in a garbage bag, searched for a dumpster, and settled for the parking lot of Greensburg Salem Middle School early Thursday morning.
Elishia Windfohr
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Mary4567 (not verified)at 13:56 on March 5th, 2010
"looks up, reading details" UN FUKKIN BELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!! Seriously.. These psycopathic scum need to die the exact same way!!! death is to good for them. What in gods name is happening to people? Are people becoming meaner and sicker or do we just have easier access to these news stories? I know if you look back in history there's been sprinkles of these insane human cruelty,like witch burnings,Charles Manson murders,throwing people in lions dens ,burning taring and feathering them in 12th Century Europe but come on.It's so scarey these people are walking the streets. People read Psycopaths among us by Dr Hare. People that knew her described her as sweet,friendly and always wanting others to be happy. I think we had a little angel on earth now Heaven has another one. Earth can be hell and a very heavy dark place,she's home and safe looking over her family and friends now.Bless your beautiful soul Jennifer!
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juicy 24 (not verified)at 05:30 on March 10th, 2010
That was so mean cruel and fucked up and all those people should get dealth penality
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khila (not verified)at 05:33 on March 10th, 2010
well all i have to say on that one is that the people who did that to her should have to suffer and hurt i think they should get the death penalty thats so sad what they did to her and that going to get theres RIP Jennifer Dougherty
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Mitchell N. (not verified)at 17:13 on March 22nd, 2010
These people should be stoned for what they did
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alayla (not verified)at 05:43 on May 13th, 2010
this is unbelievable how people can do these things to one another. Especially to someone who considered them a friend, an eye for an eye punishment..