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Two Pennsylvania Teens Sentenced 60 Years To Life In Prison After Murdering Stephanie Waters And Dog During Drug Deal

By Erin Fitzgerald
Published on: 04:28 PST, Dec 4, 2016

Two Pennsylvania teens have now been sentenced 60 years to life in prison after murdering Stephanie Waters and her dog during a drug deal back in January 2015, WJACTV reports.

Back on January 8, 2015, Deauntay Moye, 16, and Ryan Hardwick, 15, met 23-year-old Benjamin Holsinger to buy some marijuana. When Moye and Hardwick went to Woodbury, PA, to meet with Holsinger, they found his girlfriend, Stephanie Waters, instead, Penn Live revealed.

They drove to Woodbury Community Center to complete the drug deal, but Stephanie was unable to leave. They shot her in the neck and head execution style, and then they shot and killed Duke, Stephanie’s dog.

While Stephanie was still alive, they tossed her in the back seat of her car and drove off to enjoy their marijuana. Hardwick and Moye admitted that they chose not to take her to the hospital, and also admitted that she lived for approximately 20 minutes after she was shot.

Two days later, the abandoned car with the bodies of Stephanie and Duke was found. Coroner Sam Gordon pronounced Waters dead, and the investigation led to Hardwick and Moye, who was quickly taken into custody.

Moye and Hardwick admitted to investigators that he had planned on robbing someone of marijuana for several weeks, and Moye discussed shooting someone, as well. They originally planned to shoot and rob Hardwick, but Stephanie showed up instead, Times News revealed.

When the police took the two into custody, they both faced several charges, including criminal homicide.

Moye was charged with criminal homicide, robbery, aggravated assault, criminal use of a communication facility, carrying firearms without a license, receiving stolen property, theft, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of drug paraphernalia, unauthorized use of an automobile, possession of a firearm by a minor, cruelty to animals, and abuse of a corpse.

Hardwick was charged with conspiracy to commit criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, theft, receiving stolen property, robbery, carrying firearms without a license, possession of a firearm by a minor, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility, unauthorized use of an automobile, cruelty to animals, and abuse of a corpse.

One Tuesday, Hardwick admitted to the court that he killed Duke, Stephanie’s dog. He was sentenced 60 years to life in Prison on charges of first-degree murder.

Hardwick told the courts that he was remorseful, even though he shed no tears while Stephanie’s family made sobbing statements.

“Just because I don’t cry doesn’t mean I’m not remorseful.”

Attorney Bill Higgins, on the other hand, thought that Hardwick took it all as a joke.

“Other than entering his guilty plea, Mr. Hardwick has shown no remorse or acceptance of responsibility. This isn’t a guy who made a mistake and learned from it. He thinks everything is a big joke.”

Moye openly admitted to the court that he was the one to pull the trigger, which resulted in Stephanie’s death.

Waters’ mother revealed how difficult her life has been without her daughter.

Moye’s defense attorney asked the judge to be lenient on him, as he was only a minor when the crime occurred. Further, Moye’s defense attorney blamed the issue partly on his drug addiction that started at a young age.

Higgins, on the other hand, requested that Moye get life in prison without the possibility of parole. The judge agreed that Moye’s hardships certainly could have been “possible reasons for his actions, but certainly cannot be used as excuses.”

The judge reiterated that Moye drove around smoking marijuana while Stephanie laid in the back seat dying. The judge mentioned that Moye is a danger to society and that he believes Moye and Hardwick had a dedication to kill that night.

Moye was sentenced 60 years to life in prison, but he has 30 days to appeal the judge’s decision.

[Featured Image by Shutterstock]

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