The Peterson Case – Current True Crime
By: Nitzaliah Festinger
This month, the Peterson sisters face charges for lying to the police about a fatal car crash caused by Samantha Peterson in 2023.
On September 25th, 2023, Samantha was driving under the influence when she crashed into an Amish family’s buggy. The crash killed two of the four children, ages seven and eleven. The other two, ages nine and thirteen, were badly hurt.
When the police arrived, Samantha’s sister, Sarah, told them she had been driving her sister’s SUV while hers was getting repaired. She said she was the one who crashed it and took the blame.
The police originally sentenced Sarah to two sentences, one for four years and one for two years. After further investigation, the police realized that it was impossible for Sarah to have crashed the SUV. They checked both sisters’ phones for call history, text messages, and recorded locations. Investigators believe that Samantha crashed the SUV and then asked her sister to come help her out.
Along with the legal charges for causing the crash and driving under the influence, both sisters will receive additional charges for deceiving and lying to the police. Sarah Peterson is sentenced to three months in jail and four years of probation, while Samantha will be sentenced to four years in prison. The sisters have expressed their regret for their actions. Samantha said, “I wish with everything in me that I could go back and change what happened,” and, “My addiction took a lot from me, but it took the world from you.”
Samantha’s story is important because it shows how mental health not only affects the person struggling but also everyone around them. Samantha’s addiction issues caused the loss of lives and serious injuries. It also caused her sister a lot of pain. This story highlights why it’s important to seek support when struggling, because it could develop into much bigger problems and harm others.
Sources:
https://people.com/woman-who-convinced-twin-to-take-blame-for-deadly-amish-buggy-crash-sentenced-11832608
https://local12.com/news/nation-world/twin-sister-take-fall-blame-fatal-amish-buggy-crash-receives-sentence-deceive-authorities-convinced-accident-consequences-addiction-under-influence-meth-family-victim-kids-killed
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/national-international/twin-allegedly-urged-sister-take-fall-deadly-amish-buggy-crash-sentenced/4287670/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/twin-allegedly-urged-sister-take-fall-deadly-amish-buggy-crash-sentenc-rcna238307
https://krocnews.com/samantha-peterson-sentenced-amish-buggy-deaths/