Updated: June 2026
Case: Jennifer Daugherty murder
Location: Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Date of death: February 11, 2010
Known as: The Greensburg Six case
Jennifer Lee Daugherty was a 30-year-old woman from Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, who trusted people easily and wanted friendship. That trust became the reason her case is still remembered with such pain.
In February 2010, Jennifer travelled to Greensburg to spend time with people she believed were her friends. Instead, she was trapped, humiliated, tortured, sexually assaulted, and murdered by a group later known as The Greensburg Six.
The case shocked Pennsylvania not only because of its cruelty, but because Jennifer was a vulnerable woman with an intellectual disability. She thought she had found friendship. The people around her turned that trust into a weapon.
Who Was Jennifer Daugherty?
Jennifer Lee Daugherty was born on November 8, 1979. She lived in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and was deeply loved by her family.
Her mother, Denise Murphy, remembered her as easy-going, trusting, and full of life. Jennifer loved music, dancing, singing, and being around people. She was the kind of person who wanted to believe the best about others.
Jennifer also lived with an intellectual disability. Court records and reports described her as having the mental capacity of a young teenager. That detail matters because the people who harmed her knew she was vulnerable.
To her family, Jennifer was not a case file. She was a daughter, sister, and loved one who wanted friends and normal happiness.
How Jennifer Met the Group in Greensburg
In early February 2010, Jennifer had been spending time with a group of people in Greensburg, about 10 miles from her hometown of Mount Pleasant.
The group included:
- Ricky Ven Smyrnes
- Melvin Knight
- Angela Marinucci
- Amber Meidinger
- Peggy Darlene Miller
- Robert Loren Masters Jr.
Jennifer believed these people were her friends. Some of them had met her through social-service or community settings. She was excited about her new connections and had told her family about people she was meeting in Greensburg.
On February 8, 2010, Jennifer went to Greensburg. She was supposed to stay overnight and had a doctor’s appointment the next day.
She never made it home.
The Captivity and Abuse
Jennifer went to an apartment on North Pennsylvania Avenue in Greensburg. What began as a visit became a nightmare.
The group turned on her. Reports and court records describe days of abuse, humiliation, and violence. Jennifer was beaten, restrained, and forced through degrading acts. She was also sexually assaulted.
The motive was tied partly to jealousy and control inside the group. Angela Marinucci was reportedly angry about Jennifer’s perceived interest in Ricky Smyrnes, who was involved with Marinucci. That jealousy became part of a larger group attack in which several people either took part directly or failed to stop what was happening.
Jennifer was not only physically trapped. She was emotionally trapped by people she thought cared about her.
The Fake Suicide Note and Murder
As the abuse continued, the group decided Jennifer would not be allowed to leave alive.
They forced her to write a fake suicide note so her death could be staged as something other than murder. She was then killed inside the apartment.
Her body was placed in a garbage can and abandoned in the parking lot of Greensburg Salem Middle School. It was found on February 11, 2010.
The discovery led police back to the apartment and to the six people connected to the crime. What investigators uncovered was one of the most disturbing criminal cases in Pennsylvania history.
The Investigation
Police quickly identified the group involved in Jennifer’s final days.
The investigation showed that Jennifer had not died from one sudden act of violence. She had been held, abused, and tortured before she was murdered. The case became known in the media as The Greensburg Six because six people were charged in connection with her death.
The case drew national attention because of Jennifer’s vulnerability, the number of people involved, and the fact that several people had the chance to stop the abuse but did not.
Trials and Sentences
The legal process lasted for years and involved trials, guilty pleas, death sentences, resentencing hearings, and appeals.
Ricky Ven Smyrnes was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Prosecutors described him as a central figure in the group and said he helped direct what happened to Jennifer.
Melvin Knight pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges. He was also sentenced to death. His death sentence was later reviewed and upheld by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Angela Marinucci was 17 at the time of the crime, so prosecutors could not seek the death penalty against her. She was originally sentenced to life without parole. Because she was a juvenile when the crime happened, her sentence was later reconsidered. In 2022, she was resentenced to 60 years to life in prison.
Amber Meidinger pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy. She received a sentence of 40 to 80 years in prison and testified against others involved in the case.
Robert Loren Masters Jr. pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and conspiracy charges. He was sentenced to 30 to 70 years in prison.
Peggy Darlene Miller also pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and conspiracy charges. She was sentenced to 35 to 74 years in prison.
This is why older summaries of the case can be misleading. The six were all convicted or pleaded guilty in different ways, but they did not all receive the same sentence, and they did not all follow the same legal path.
Jennifer’s Law and the Case’s Legacy
Jennifer Daugherty’s murder led to public anger and calls for legal change in Pennsylvania.
One proposed response became known as Jennifer’s Law. The idea was to make it a crime for someone to witness a violent crime and fail to report it to police. The proposal was named in Jennifer’s memory because several people were present while she was being abused, yet the violence continued until she was dead.
Even beyond legislation, Jennifer’s case remains important because it exposed how dangerous social isolation and misplaced trust can be for vulnerable adults. Her disability did not make her less human. It made the betrayal against her even more serious.
Why This Case Still Gets Attention
The Jennifer Daugherty case is still discussed because it is difficult to understand how six people could participate in, encourage, or allow such cruelty.
It is also remembered because Jennifer was not someone who went looking for danger. She wanted friendship. She wanted to be accepted. Her family said she trusted people easily, and that trust was used against her.
True crime stories often focus on mystery. This case is different. The horror is not that the killer was unknown. The horror is that Jennifer was surrounded by people, and almost none of them chose to save her.
Timeline of the Jennifer Daugherty Case
November 8, 1979: Jennifer Lee Daugherty was born.
February 8, 2010: Jennifer travelled to Greensburg and went to the apartment where members of the group were staying.
February 8–11, 2010: Jennifer was held captive, abused, and tortured.
February 11, 2010: Jennifer was murdered. Her body was later found in a garbage can in the parking lot of Greensburg Salem Middle School.
2010: Six people were charged in connection with her murder.
2011: Angela Marinucci was convicted of first-degree murder.
2012: Melvin Knight pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death.
2013: Ricky Smyrnes was sentenced to death.
2013–2014: Amber Meidinger, Robert Masters, and Peggy Miller received long prison sentences after plea agreements.
2020: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld Melvin Knight’s death sentence.
2022: Angela Marinucci was resentenced to 60 years to life in prison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Jennifer Daugherty?
Jennifer Lee Daugherty was a 30-year-old woman from Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. She had an intellectual disability and was murdered in Greensburg in February 2010.
What was The Greensburg Six?
The Greensburg Six refers to the six people charged and convicted in connection with Jennifer Daugherty’s torture and murder: Ricky Smyrnes, Melvin Knight, Angela Marinucci, Amber Meidinger, Peggy Miller, and Robert Masters.
Why was Jennifer Daugherty killed?
The motive involved jealousy, control, and group violence. Jennifer was targeted after becoming involved with people she believed were her friends.
Where was Jennifer Daugherty found?
Her body was found in a garbage can in the parking lot of Greensburg Salem Middle School in Pennsylvania.
What happened to the Greensburg Six?
Ricky Smyrnes and Melvin Knight received death sentences. Angela Marinucci was resentenced in 2022 to 60 years to life. Amber Meidinger received 40 to 80 years, Robert Masters received 30 to 70 years, and Peggy Miller received 35 to 74 years.
What is Jennifer’s Law?
Jennifer’s Law was a Pennsylvania legislative proposal named in Jennifer Daugherty’s memory. It aimed to punish people who witness violent crimes and fail to report them.
Sources :
Justia / Pennsylvania Supreme Court
WTAE
CBS
WESA
Pennsylvania Senate Jennifer’s Law memo
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Morbidology