A North Dakota woman who earlier admitted killing a pregnant neighbor to get her baby did it by cutting the baby from the mother's womb as she faded in and out of consciousness, prosecutors said Friday.
FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2017, file photo, Brooke Crews, who is accused of killing a pregnant neighbor so she and her boyfriend could keep the baby, appears in state district court in Fargo, N.D., on with attorney Steven Mottinger. Crews, who pleaded guilty in the killing to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder, and lying to law officers in the death of 22-year-old Savanna Greywind, of Fargo, in August 2017, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, in Fargo. (Michael Vosburg/The Forum via AP, Pool)
Brooke Crews, 38, was sentenced to life in prison without parole in a hearing that for the first time detailed the August death of Savanna Greywind, 22, of Fargo.
Ashton Matheny, the baby's father, said learning how his baby was born and his girlfriend died "tore me apart." Greywind's mother, Norberta Lafontaine-Greywind, fought back tears, but said she was satisfied with the sentence — the toughest Crews could have received.
Prosecutors said the two women argued, and Greywind was pushed and briefly knocked out before Crews began cutting her. Greywind eventually bled to death, they said.
East Central District Judge Frank Racek cited the predatory and cruel nature of the crime in handing down the maximum sentence.
Crews, wearing orange prison clothing and cuffed at the wrists, cried as she read a statement of apology. She said she wished she could take the family's pain.
FILE - This file photo provided by the Cass County Sheriff's Office in Fargo, N.D., shows Brooke Crews, who pleaded guilty Dec. 11, 2017, to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and murder and lying to law officers in the killing of a pregnant neighbor in August 2017 so she and her boyfriend could keep the baby. Crews is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, in Fargo. (Cass County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)
"There is no excuse. There is no rationalization. There is nothing," she said. Later, she showed no emotion as the judge passed sentence.
Crews' boyfriend, William Hoehn, faces a May trial in the case. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors had cited his pending trial in withholding public details of Greywind's death earlier.
Prosecutors asked for a sentence of life in prison with no parole. Defense attorney Steven Mottinger had asked for less, pointing out Crews admitted guilt without any promise of leniency.
"Acceptance of responsibility is important," Mottinger said in court. "It has to mean something."
Greywind was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in August, sparking extensive searches. Kayakers found her body wrapped in plastic in a river. The baby was found alive in the apartment Crews shared with Hoehn.
Norberta LaFontaine-Greywind, one of four family members to give statements during sentencing, said that what Crews did was "beyond evil," and said she was suffering horrific nightmares. Her husband, Joe Greywind, said the family is trying to heal, "but we find it nearly impossible."
Brooke Crews leaves Cass County District Court in fargo, N.D., on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, after her sentencing for conspiring to murder Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind. (David Samson /The Forum via AP, Pool)
Fargo Police Chief Dave Todd earlier called Greywind's death a "cruel and vicious act of depravity."
Crews initially claimed that Greywind gave up her newborn daughter, but she later admitted taking advantage of the woman to get the child, according to court documents.
Hoehn told police he came home on Aug. 19 to find Crews cleaning up blood in their bathroom. Hoehn said Crews presented him with an infant girl and said: "This is our baby. This is our family." Hoehn told police he took garbage bags containing bloody shoes and his bloody towels and disposed them away from the apartment complex.
A bill in Congress aimed at protecting Native American women and girls from violence, abduction and human trafficking is named for Greywind. Savanna's Act, introduced by Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp would improve tribal access to certain federal crime information databases and create standardized protocols for responding to cases of missing and murdered Native Americans.
It also would require an annual report that would include statistics on missing and murdered Native American women.
Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind's boyfriend Ashston Matheny holds their daughter, Haisley Jo, as victim impact statements are read during the sentencing of Brooke Crews at the Cass County District Court in on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. (David Samson /The Forum via AP, Pool)
"You would never wish this suffering on anybody, on anybody's family, on anybody's sister or daughter or mother," said Gloria Allred, attorney for the Greywind family. "But the only good that will come out of it ... is more attention to change on this issue for other Native American women in the future."
Roger Penske on Tuesday said he has suspended the president of Team Penske along with three others for two races for their roles in the cheating scandal that has rocked IndyCar ahead of the Indianapolis 500.
Penske said in an interview with The Associated Press that a review done by his general counsel found that the team had no "malicious intent by anyone” and chalked up the incident as a breakdown in internal processes and miscommunication.
He also said he remains committed to reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and is actively trying to sign the two-time IndyCar champion to a contract extension.
“We're the same company we have been for 50 years and I'm going to hold my head high,” Penske told the AP. “This is an unfortunate situation and when you're the leader, you have to take action. We've done that and we're going to move on. I am not trying to run a popularity contest.”
Tim Cindric, who oversees all of Team Penske’s operations and is the strategist for Newgarden, is the top name to receive a two-race suspension. Also suspended was team managing director Ron Ruzewski, Newgarden engineer Luke Mason and senior data engineer Robbie Atkinson.
Penske told the AP that Cindric and Ruzewski “raised their hands as the team leaders” to accept responsibility for the mess.
“For Ron and I as leaders of this team, it’s not about what we did, it’s about what we didn’t do. It is our responsibility to provide the team and all our drivers with the right processes to ensure something like this can’t happen," Cindric said in a statement. "For that, I apologize to Roger, our team and everyone that supports us. Our number one job is to protect and enhance the reputation of our brand and that of those that support us.
"In that regard, as the overall leader, I failed, and I must raise my hand and be accountable with the others. This is a team, and in my position, it’s the right thing to do.”
Ruzewski and Atkinson both work on Will Power's car — Ruzewski is his strategist — and Power is the only of the three Penske drivers not accused of any wrongdoing in the push-to-pass scandal. Penske acknowledged that Power had done nothing wrong and said the suspensions to his crew members were based solely on their roles within the team.
None of Scott McLaughlin's team members were punished.
The suspensions are for two races, which cover this weekend's event on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and the Indy 500, which Penske is trying to win for a record-extending 20th time.
“That's a big deal, a significant impact to the team, to the individuals involved,” Penske told the AP of the Indy 500 being included in the suspensions. “I talked to all of them and the goal was, ‘How can we move forward and be competitive and win? Win the next two races?’ That was the feeling I had when I left the meeting.”
Asked how Newgarden moves forward and regains the respect of his competitors, Penske said: “He's got to do it on the racetrack. I think he understands the gravity of this thing and I need to support him.”
He said contract talks with Newgarden are ongoing but “for sure I do” want to re-sign him.
In a statement released when the suspensions were announced, Penske apologized for the team's actions.
“I recognize the magnitude of what occurred and the impact it continues to have on the sport to which I’ve dedicated so many decades," Penske said in the statement. "Everyone at Team Penske along with our fans and business partners should know that I apologize for the errors that were made and I deeply regret them.”
The team said an internal review was completed following IndyCar discovering that all three Penske cars had an illegal software system installed that allowed the drivers to use the push-to-pass function on starts and restarts. The system is controlled by IndyCar and disabled on starts and restarts, when the extra boost of horsepower is illegal.
IndyCar discovered it on the Penske cars in the morning warm-up at Long Beach when a glitch to the software knocked it out of all cars except the three Penske entries. IndyCar's investigation later showed that the software had been in place in the season-opening race and Newgarden used it to his advantage an admitted three times.
McLaughlin said he used it once at St. Petersburg and Power never illegally used the software. IndyCar stripped Newgarden of the St. Pete win and McLaughlin of his third-place finish, while all three drivers were fined $25,000 and docked 10 points.
Penske owns the race team, IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has been in damage control since series officials discovered the manipulation late last month. Cindric said the software was inadvertently left on the cars since last August when it was installed to test IndyCar's upcoming hybrid engine.
IndyCar has said it is working on its processes to determine how it wasn't found through inspection at the first three events to open the season.
Newgarden, meanwhile, maintains he thought there had been a rule change and the P2P system was now legal on restarts. McLaughlin said he hit the button out of habit and gained no advantage from the horsepower boost that lasted less than 2 seconds.
AP Motorsports: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
FILE - Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden, center, celebrates his first place finish along with second place finisher Arrow McLaren driver Pato O'Ward of Mexico, left, and third place finisher Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin of New Zealand in the IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg auto race, Sunday, March 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Team Penske suffered a humiliating disqualification Wednesday, April 24, when reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden was stripped of his victory in the season-opening race for manipulating his push-to-pass system. Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin, who finished third in the opener on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, was also disqualified. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson, File)
FILE - Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden, center, celebrates his first place finish along with second place finisher Arrow McLaren driver Pato O'Ward of Mexico, left, and third place finisher Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin of New Zealand in the IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg auto race, Sunday, March 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Team Penske suffered a humiliating disqualification Wednesday, April 24, when reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden was stripped of his victory in the season-opening race for manipulating his push-to-pass system. Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin, who finished third in the opener on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, was also disqualified. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
FILE - Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden, right, celebrates his victory with team owner Roger Penske after the IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg auto race, Sunday, March 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Team Penske suffered a humiliating disqualification Wednesday, April 24, when reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden was stripped of his victory in the season-opening race for manipulating his push-to-pass system. Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin, who finished third in the opener on the downtown streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, was also disqualified. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson, File)
