Twin Sister Who Hit Buggy While On Meth, Killing Two Amish Girls, Will Serve A Maximum Of Four Years – Or Maybe Just One Year
The plea agreement for Samantha Jo Petersen, facing 17 charges (including six counts of vehicular homicide) will have her pleading guilty to just two counts – one count of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation.
The rest of the charges will be dismissed.
Samantha has admitted consuming methamphetamine and then hitting a buggy in a September 2023 crash in Fillmore County, Minnesota, which took the lives of two young Amish girls.
Her sister Sarah Beth Petersen first attempted to take the blame for her, was caught, and is currently serving a 90 day sentence for her role.
How much time could Samantha Petersen serve? This from the Rochester Post-Bulletin summarizes it:
In her petition to enter a guilty plea, Samantha plans to plead guilty to one count of criminal vehicular homicide and one count of criminal vehicular operation.
According to the court filing, she admitted to driving on the day of the crash after consuming methamphetamine and that “it affected my ability to operate a motor vehicle in a safe manner.”
“As a result, I crashed my vehicle into the back of an Amish buggy,” Petersen wrote in the petition.
If the court grants the defense a mitigated dispositional departure, Petersen would serve 364 days in jail on work release. An 80-month prison sentence would be stayed, or delayed.
A denial of the departure would mean Petersen would serve 4 years in prison.
So based on this, in the “best case” for her in this deal, Samantha Petersen would serve just under one year in jail – with work release. The worst case here would see her serving four years in prison.
If she were to violate the terms of her agreement in option A, she could face 80 months. But as I understand it, she would avoid this as long as she complies.
Due to Samantha Petersen’s actions, Irma Miller, 11, and her sister Wilma, 7, lost their lives.
Samantha Petersen attempted to avoid responsibility for the crash, and also failed to apologize to the girls’ parents.
When the girls’ father, Menno Miller, was interviewed shortly after the crash, he talked about getting an apology from whoever was driving. “That’d go a long ways,” said Menno. “Yes it would.”
As it appears Samantha Petersen now knows she will not be spending much time behind bars, perhaps now she is in a position to offer such an apology.
Petersen’s next hearing is scheduled for July 11th. The plea agreement is expected to be finalized at that hearing.
I Don't Understand
Oftentimes, I just don’t understand the judicial system. Two innocent lives were taken, and yes, I understand God’s will. But from a human standpoint, the consequences of this person’s actions seem like a gentle slap on the wrist.
Understand This!
I wonder if the people who were killed families belonged to a voting group, the DA would not have made such a sweetheart deal!
Something Odd Here
Is it my imagination or are there many more killings (accidents and murders) of Amish in recent years? I’m wondering if it’s because the Amish came out in support of Trump since 2016, while they had been largely apolitical before then. Some things seem to much of a coincidence. Prayers and condolences for the people who have lost their daughters and for all the other victims of these senseless and irresponsible killings.
I have wondered if there haven’t been more stories of crime myself, but it could also simply be a factor of more reporting being done for whatever reason (either by the Amish to police, and/or by media outlets), or simply a factor of a growing Amish population.
Two pretty different things though – accidents and murders. When I write the above, I have in mind crimes in general. It may also be that there are more buggy accident stories as well.
If it is true that we are seeing more stories of Amish as victims of crime, I personally don’t see any connection to politics.
Um, Objection Your Honor!
Ok, who’s doing is THIS?? The MN State legislature or the judge in this case?? We all KNOW she’ll continue to do drugs AND drive while on work release. I mean, it goes without saying . . . this little snot has no regard for the law or even human life. Unless of course, it happens to be HER life we’re talking about!! Makes me wanna move out of MN altogether.
Amish crash
4 years Minimum!! Should be sentence!! Or More 2 lives lost 10 yrs Minimum!!
WHAT???
I’m sorry. Forgiveness is one thing, but 364 days and work release!! Incredible! Just shows how little people value the lives of our Amish friends. This makes me sad.
No Justice
For taking the lives of TWO girls, this is all she will get? There is no justice. NONE
Outrageous
Has life become so cheap? Four years because you knowingly tool meth then got in your car. Killed two innocent girls.and then muddled the situation by lying about who was driving.i don’t know why I should be but I am shocked!
Exactly!
Life Sentence
I hope she spends the rest of her life remembering the lives she took and that she dedicates her life to preventing other people from becoming drug addicts. I hope she also remembers the forgiveness the community offered her and strives to return in kind by serving the community. Lastly, she needs to provide a heartfelt apology to the family(s) of the victims of her irresponsible acts.
Getting away with murder
The forgiveness is not mine to give nor is the outrage i feel. As an Anabaptist it is not right for me to feel it and I ask God for forgiveness for those feelings. I pray that these two women find their way to a righteous life.
The justice system in this country has been hijacked by American hating, unstable, unfit, unqualified commie liberals! This POS and her meth head sister murdered 2 kids… and are going to basically walk? Outrageous!
Why weren’t the dirt bag parents arrested too? This whole family belongs behind bars! The Section 8 of White Trash! Mark my words… these two toilets will be back in the news again, committing more crimes and killing more innocent life. Where is the outrage? Where are the protests? What kind of a lawyer pleaded this case out? Why? Who’s the Soro’s backed judge on this case? FOR COMPARISON: Todd and Julie Christly were found guilty of falsifying financial documents… bank fraud. They were given 12 years, served 3+ before Trump pardoned them. 12 years… never killed anyone, never took another human life, no murder, no meth.
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME WITH THIS BS!
Interesting...
If I understand this correctly, the sentence hasn’t been finalised.
While work release and a suspended further sentence on keeping to the conditions of that might well be a good combination of punishment and rehabilitation in this type of case (drug abuse is a very complicated matter), I am surprised at a low sentence being considered for an apparently reckless action that predictably resulted in lives being lost, especially if the lack of apology and the apparent past record are correctly reported.
Is there any explanation given? Any further extenuating circumstances or some such?