Judge White: ‘You Have Every Right to Be Outraged’

Aly Delp

Aly Delp

Published June 4, 2019 4:50 am
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FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — Telling Tausha Baker’s family and friends, “You have every right to be outraged,” Venango County Senior Judge H. William White further commented that he agreed to respect the plea negotiation that Cypher struck with the district attorney.

The hearing opened with an explanation of the plea agreement, which allowed Amanda Cypher to plead guilty to Abuse of a Corpse and Tampering With Physical Evidence, both second-degree misdemeanor charges.

The charges stem from the brutal murder of Tausha Baker in Franklin on October 27, 2017, involving Cypher and Richard Kennedy.

Cypher, who testified for the prosecution in Richard Kennedy’s case, was offered a plea deal for her testimony.

As a result of the plea negotiation, the following charges were dismissed:

– Criminal Homicide
– Conspiracy — Criminal Homicide
– Aggravated Assault, Felony 1
– Aggravated Assault, Felony 2
– Hinder Apprehension/Prosecution — Conceal/Destroy Evidence, Felony 3

However, before sentencing Cypher, Judge White heard from several of Baker’s friends and family, including the reading of a letter from Evelyn Lawrence, Baker’s mother.

Lawrence’s letter said: “My world has been turned upside down,” and addressed Cypher directly multiple times, stating, “You had every opportunity to save Tausha,” and, “You deserve life for the murder of my daughter.”

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Tausha Baker with her sister Caitlin Lawrence and her mother Evelyn Denise Lawrence.

Two of Tausha’s cousins and several family friends also read letters, which highlighted everything from her willingness to help others–including Cypher herself, to Tausha’s laugh, which was remembered as “filling up an entire room.”

Caitlin Lawrence, Tausha’s older sister, also read a letter in which she also addressed Cypher, stating: “She protected you, and you used her and let her die.” She went on to note how her sister’s murder has affected her family, saying “when Tausha’s head was shattered, my family was shattered, too.”

Venango County District Attorney Shawn White also made a statement before Cypher was sentenced, explaining his frustration with the gag order imposed and the difficulty of attempting to ensure a conviction against Richard Kennedy, noting that from the beginning of the case, the Commonwealth believed Kennedy was “most culpable” in Baker’s death.

“This defendant knew where other evidence was located,” District Attorney White noted, explaining that he believed that offering a plea bargain for Cypher’s cooperation might be the only way to gather enough evidence to convict Kennedy.

With Cypher’s information regarding the evidence and her testimony in court, Richard Kennedy was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Tausha Baker on April 17, 2019. Kennedy is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. on August 22, 2019.

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Richard Kennedy

District Attorney White also noted that if Cypher had been offered an opportunity to plea the criminal homicide down to involuntary manslaughter, that charge would have resulted in a lesser sentence than the two charges she was offered.

Before announcing the sentence, Judge White stated that “this case has trappings that are much more complex” than many other cases, and noted that the outcome may seem “lenient,” but it accomplished a goal in helping ensure a conviction in the Kennedy case.

Judge White then ordered Cypher to 12 months less one day to 24 months less one day, $100.00 fine, and $1.00 restitution for the count of Abuse of a Corpse and six months to 24 months less one day, $100.00 fine, and $1.00 restitution for the count of Tampering With Physical Evidence plus fines and restitution.

Judge White explained the $1.00 restitution was to allow the possibility of restitution, so the amount can be changed at a later date.

The aggregate sentence is 18 months less two days to 48 months less three days. Cypher has served 584 days in the Venango County Jail and was immediately paroled; however, she will be transported to Butler County Jail to be resentenced on a parole revocation.

“You have every right to be outraged,” Judge White stated, following his announcement of the sentence.

“The reality is, he (District Attorney White) has to make decisions in (the) prosecution that I’m sure he has lost sleep over it at night.”

Judge White went on to note that he believed that rejecting the plea agreement would be “breaking trust” with the District Attorney, and noted, “the credibility of a district attorney is essential.”

“You just do the best you can,” added Judge White.

RELATED:

Cypher Sentenced to Time Served in Tausha Baker Murder Case

Judge Boyer Recuses Himself from Sentencing Cypher Case

Guilty as Charged: Kennedy Guilty of Two Counts of Murder, Kidnapping Other Charges in Baker Death

Cypher Paints Picture of Kennedy Being Sole Actor in Baker Murder

Defense Points to Cypher in Kennedy Murder Trial

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