A Uber passenger was sentenced to life in jail with out parole for the 2022 killing of driver, 38-year-old mom Christina Spicuzza.
The household of Spicuzza mentioned they “showed mercy” on her killer by requesting he not be given the demise penalty for the mindless slaying.
Calvin Crew, 25, was sentenced to life with out parole on the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh for the homicide of the mother-of-four, CBS Information reported.
Spicuzza’s household learn influence statements to the courtroom regardless of the killer not being in attendance for his sentencing.
“You should have the death penalty, but we showed mercy,” Spicuzza’s mom, Cindy Spicuzza, mentioned.
“You executed her. No mercy, no remorse. It was abhorrent. It was murder.”
Spicuzza’s household had requested the courtroom to not give Crew the demise penalty and mentioned earlier than his trial started earlier this 12 months, prosecutors mentioned they’d not search capital punishment.
Spicuzza’s life fiancé, Brandon Marto, unleashed on Crew in his assertion for not having the braveness to attend his sentencing.
“No reason other than a coward. A coward who couldn’t be here today to face this,” he mentioned.
“Christy was everything for my family. I was lost, out of control. She saw something in me.”
Marto additionally instructed the choose he hoped Crew would “rot and burn in prison.”
The convicted assassin was additionally slapped with 13 to 26 years for kidnapping and theft costs throughout sentencing.
Spicuzza had picked up Crew, carrying a darkish hoodie with a masks, at round 9 p.m. on Feb. 10, 2022, whereas driving for Uber.
Nonetheless, about 10 minutes into the journey, the killer was caught on dashcam footage placing a gun to the again of her head.
“You’ve got to be joking,” she mentioned, earlier than realizing the severity of the scenario.
Crew instructed her to “keep driving” as Spicuzza pleaded, “Come on, I have a family,” the video exhibits.
“I’m begging you. I have four kids,” Spicuzza mentioned.
“I got a family too,” Crew instructed her. “Now drive.”
All through the drive, Spicuzza begged Crew to take away the gun from her head a number of occasions.
“Please take that off of me,” she pleaded.
“Do what I say and everything will be all right,” Crew instructed her.
The video ended after he observed the digicam and grabbed it from the dashboard.
The mom of 4’s physique was discovered two days later in a wooded space in Monroeville with a single gunshot wound to the top.
Crew was arrested days later and was charged with prison murder, theft and tampering with proof.
After his arrest, the killer instructed police that after his Uber journey with Spicuzza ended, he received out of the automobile and later took a bus residence to Pitcairn, however surveillance footage confirmed he by no means received on or off a bus.
Police mentioned GPS data confirmed she had pushed via a number of neighborhoods with Crew allegedly within the backseat.
Police later discovered Spicuzza’s dashboard digicam round the place she picked up Crew.
Crew additionally obtained a textual content from his girlfriend, Tanaya Mullen, that mentioned “[I’m] not going to jail if we get caught,” in line with the criticism obtained by The Pittsburgh Publish-Gazette.
Throughout his sentencing Monday, Crew’s protection legal professional mentioned that the 25-year-old convicted assassin “lived a childhood surrounded by violence and neglect,” in line with CBS Information.
His attorneys have indicated that he’ll attraction his conviction and keep his innocence.
