Published: July 31, 2008 11:15 pm      

Methadone driver sentenced in deaths of toddler, grandmother

CLEARFIELD — A Patton woman found guilty of killing two Mahaffey pedestrians on her way home from heroin treatment was sentenced to a minimum 10 years, eight months to a maximum of 34 years at the state prison for women in Muncy, Lycoming County.

Bobbi Jo Morgan, 23, remained motionless in her Clearfield County Jail orange jumpsuit, staring at the courtroom floor as Judge Paul Cherry imposed his sentence.

The accident occurred in July 25, 2007, as Morgan was returning home from the Clearfield methadone clinic.

Morgan was found guilty of DUI and two counts each of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter at the conclusion of a June 4 jury trial.

Bertha Kitchen, 63, and her 3-year-old granddaughter, Samantha, were killed when Morgan swerved off the road and hit them as the pair were walking from the Mahaffey post office.

Tammy Jo Kitchen, the toddler’s mother, read a statement before the sentencing.

“(Morgan) took the precious lives of our daughter, mother and mother-in-law,” she said through tears as she told of having to see her little girl’s empty bedroom every day. She said she dreams about hearing her daughter call out to her.

“We hope (Morgan) will think about what she did ... and how she took our little girl away from us.”

Marcy Kitchen, Bertha’s daughter, said the last time she saw her mother and niece was when they were lying on the side of the road, being tended to by emergency responders.

“My mother can no longer call me, ask me how my day was, or invite us to dinner,” she said.

“You not only took my mother, but my best friend, too.”

Morgan’s attorney, Brian Manchester of Bellefonte, asked Cherry for a minimum sentence of six years – saying his client has become a “poster-child for anti-methadone clinics” as portrayed by the media.

“This has also been tough on (Morgan),” Manchester said. “She was a drug addict, struggling to recover from heroin addiction ... and she was getting her prescribed medication from a legal, licensed methadone clinic.

“She was trying to beat her addiction,” Manchester said. “That caused the accident that killed the Kitchens.”

Experts testified in June that the methadone, combined with prescription Valium that Morgan had been taking, rendered Morgan incapable of safe driving.

He told the courtroom that his client wished to make a statement to the Kitchen family, stating she was not an emotional person by nature, and would likely not cry or break down during her statement.

“I want to apologize to everyone for the pain and suffering I caused,” Morgan said, turning around to face the Kitchen family. “I am truly sorry for this.”

Cherry said he received and reviewed “several letters” not only from the Kitchen family, but also their friends and neighbors in Mahaffey, as well as family and friends of Morgan

“This was a very tragic, tragic event, where two innocent people lost their lives,” Cherry said before imposing his sentence.

Marcy Kitchen said afterward that, while their mother and niece will never be replaced, the family was pleased with the outcome.