Arizona woman sentenced to 10 1/2 years after phone call mocking crime

[Moongirl]

Laughing jailhouse phone call gets woman tough sentence

TUCSON, Arizona (AP) -- A judge sentenced a woman to nearly the maximum prison term for negligent homicide after hearing a recorded jail conversation in which she made light of the bicyclist she killed.

(link to the recording of the phone call:KGUN 9 News - ABC KGUN-TV Tucson, Arizona, News & Weather. > News Story)

Melissa Arrington, 27, was convicted two months ago of negligent homicide and two counts of aggravated DUI in connection with the December 2006 death of Paul L'Ecuyer.

She could have gotten as few as four years behind bars, but Superior Court Judge Michael Cruikshank sentenced her Tuesday to 10½ years -- one year shy of the maximum.

Cruikshank said he found a telephone conversation between Arrington and an unknown male friend, a week after L'Ecuyer was killed, to be "breathtaking in its inhumanity."

During the conversation, the man told Arrington that an acquaintance believed she should get a medal and a parade because she had "taken out" a "tree hugger, a bicyclist, a Frenchman and a gay guy all in one shot."

Arrington laughed. When the man said he knew it was a terrible thing to say, she responded, "No, it's not."

Assistant Public Defender Michael Rosenbluth told the judge his client has never been "cold, callous or flippant" about L'Ecuyer's death and has always felt remorseful.

Arrington said words couldn't express how she feels, and that once she's out of prison, she hopes to share her story with Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

L'Ecuyer, 45, was riding his bike the night of December 1, 2006 when Arrington swerved off the road, hit him and then continued for 800 feet before stopping, according to Deputy Pima County Attorney Jonathan Mosher.

Arrington's blood-alcohol content was .156 percent, nearly double Arizona's .08 legal limit. She had been driving on a suspended license for a prior DUI.

Laughing jailhouse phone call gets woman tough sentence - CNN.com

[Sojiita]

Sorry bitch..but your conversation was recorded. The truth is known. We know who you are, how you are, and what you truly are. You cannot spin your way out now. Rot in prison bitch.

[KrisNine]

Love it. What a rotten, whorebag, cunt. I hope everyday she has in prison is the worst day imaginable. Talk about no remorse. She has no heart!

[DontMindMe]

Karma's a bitch. Then again, so is she.

[pacific breeze]

She definitely had it coming.

[msdeb]

i heard about this. i'm glad they let her have it.

[celeb_2006]

Sentence should be hard prison labor a la the chain gang at the least.

[Laurent]

She definately looks like a spiteful cow in this picture.

[Folieadeux]

She looks like a substance abuser too. Can't believe she's only 27.

The truth and words will always come back to haunt you in someway. I'm so very glad hers will see her locked up for 10 years.

[Aella]

Good verdict. Her utter lack of remorse is astonishing.

[yanna]

Ugly inside and out this one...

[Trixie]

The judge should have just gone ahead and sentenced the maximum. She was driving while suspended for a prior DUI, twice the legal limit, AND killed somebody. She deserved it for that alone.

Not to mention, dumbass didn't realize all inmate phone calls are recorded and monitored? What, did she think she had the right to privacy while she joked about her victim?

Rot, bitch.

[GawsipRawksz]

In other news, an Arizona Judge gets a pat on the back after a courthouse phone call recording of her speaking to her friend makes light of a 10 1/2 year sentence she gave to a remorseless cow.

[Just Kill Me]

She should have gotten this sentence with or without the telephone conversation; she's a repeat offender and she killed someone.