In the winter of 2015, the life of 21-year-old Stephanie Michele Waters was tragically cut short in a cold-blooded act of violence that began with a plan to trade marijuana for money. A resident of Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, the young white woman had her entire life ahead of her, with aspirations of a career in law enforcement as a probation officer.
She was known by friends as a nice and down-to-earth person.
On the evening of January 8, 2015, what was supposed to be a routine drug transaction orchestrated by her boyfriend, Benjamin Holsinger, turned into a fatal encounter. Holsinger had arranged to sell marijuana to two teenagers, but sent Stephanie to make the exchange in a Woodbury parking lot. Waiting for her were 16-year-old Deauntay Dontaz Moye and 15-year-old Ryan James Hardwick. The planned robbery escalated to murder when Moye shot Stephanie twice with a. 22-caliber revolver. Hardwick then used the same weapon to kill her dog, Duke, who was with her in the car.
After the shooting, the two teenagers drove Stephanie's car to the Altoona area, with her dying in the back seat. They made no attempt to seek medical help for her. Her body was later discovered in the back of her vehicle, which had been abandoned at a vacant house near New Enterprise. The discovery was made after a concerned resident reported a suspicious vehicle matching the description of the one in Stephanie's missing person report.
The investigation quickly led to the apprehension of Moye and Hardwick. Authorities revealed that the murder was premeditated, with the teenagers having talked about wanting to shoot someone. In 2016, both Moye and Hardwick pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. Due to their ages at the time of the crime, their sentencing became a complex legal matter, resulting in multiple court appearances. Ultimately, Deauntay Dontaz Moye was sentenced to a minimum of 50 years in prison, while Ryan James Hardwick received a sentence of 40 years to life. Stephanie's boyfriend, Benjamin Holsinger, also faced legal consequences for his role in arranging the drug deal that led to her death, charged with delivering marijuana and criminal use of a communication facility.
