Prosecution Rests Case Against ‘Greensburg 6′ Suspect

(Credit: KDKA)

Filed under

Local, News

GREENSBURG (KDKA) – The prosecution rested its case against the youngest woman charged in the torture and murder of a Westmoreland County woman.

Angela Marinucci is charged in the Feb. 2009 torture and murder of 30-year-old Jennifer Daugherty.

Today, Cyril Wecht testified that Daugherty died as a total result of injuries all over her body.

However, he said seven stab wounds to her upper-left chest area, which punctured her heart and lung, were what proved to be fatal.

Wecht said things found on Daugherty’s body were consistent with having endured extreme pain during her death. He said there is no doubt she suffered greatly and likely lived up to seven minutes after the stab wounds were inflicted.

Jurors were shown extremely graphic autopsy photos as they heard Wecht’s testimony.

They also heard from a Pennsylvania State Police fingerprint expert who said Marinucci’s prints were not found on any of the items of torture that were able to be analyzed.

Prints from Ricky Smyrnes and Melvin Knight were found on the Crisco bottle. Prints from Smyrnes and Amber Meidinger were found on the metal towel rack and prints from Smyrnes were found on the suicide note.

Denise Murphy, Jennifer Daugherty’s mother, took the stand. She told the jury about the last communication she had with her daughter.

Jennifer left her a note that read: “Mom, I hope that you have a good day at work and I also love you very much. I will talk with you sometime later. Jennifer.”

On the back of the note, Peggy Miller’s name and phone number were listed as an emergency contact.

When Denise Murphy later called Peggy Miller on two occasions, Miller said she didn’t know where Jennifer was and hung up the phone.

The Murphys later got a call from Amber Meidinger who identified herself as a friend of Jennifer. She said she and her friends were going to look for her because they knew Greensburg well.

Bobby Murphy testified that his stepdaughter, Jennifer Daugherty, was very trusting of strangers. The last time he saw her was when he dropped her off at the bus stop for her trip to Greensburg.