A chilling video has emerged of a woman laughing after she murdered two people while driving drunk.
On April 10, 2022, Stephanie Melgoza struck and killed Andrea Rosewicz, 43, and Paul Prowant, 55, outside the Full Throttle bar in East Peoria.
Law & Crime recently published footage of the driver - who was three times over the legal blood-alcohol limit - being confronted by police officers after the tragic incident.
The clip shows a clearly drunk Melgoza smiling and giggling to herself as she struggles to follow a cop's instructions, saying: "I told you, it’s hard," when they tried to make her follow a light with her eyes.
Watch the bodycam footage below:The video from the crime scene also shows her telling law enforcement that she consumed vodka and had unused cannabis in her bag. She failed her sobriety tests before being placed under arrest.
In the exam room, the then 23-year-old student at Bradley University seemed oblivious to the gravity of the incident. She was singing and dancing to herself before asking an officer if she can leave and attend class the next day.
"You’re going to jail, you don’t have a bond, you killed two people tonight. I don’t think you understand that," the police responded. "Your car…it’s a crime scene, it killed two people tonight," he said, adding that she was "pathetic" for being so "careless".
The collision happened weeks before the suspect was expected to graduate from university. Due to backlash, she was taken off the list of students eligible to walk in the ceremony but was allowed to accept a diploma.
Slightly more than a year after the accident, the now-24-year-old was sentenced by Judge Tim Cusack to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to four felonies - including two counts of aggravated DUI death, as reported by The Pekin Times.
"Our system is based on punishment and rehabilitation. I have to balance those two. What is the appropriate punishment, in order to deter other people; and what is the rehabilitative quality of the person that’s being sentenced?", the judge explained.
During her sentencing hearing, she expressed guilt for her actions, stating: "I’m so sorry for everything, and I will never, ever commit anything like that again. I have not drank since that day.
"I do not plan on drinking ever again. I want to try to do something positive to make a difference, speak out about this and warn others about the dangers that come with drinking," she added.
Rosewicz’s sister, Sherri Hutchison, pleaded that the judge imposes the maximum penalty which is 28 years.
She tearfully told Melgoza: "There are no words that can even remotely come close to inflicting pain and suffering on you … that you have inflicted on me, our families, and Andrea’s friends," adding, "The magnitude is unimaginable."
Our thoughts are with Rosewicz and Prowant's family and friends.
