BEDFORD — A state prisoner who killed a woman during a drug deal when he was a juvenile was resentenced Thursday to life in jail without parole.

Judge Travis Livengood found Deauntay Dontaz Moye, now a 20-year-old inmate at the State Correctional Institution at Pine Grove, incapable of rehabilitation beyond a reasonable doubt, noting the increasing severity of his crimes despite past and current rehabilitation efforts.

Moye pleaded guilty in 2016 to murdering 21-year-old Stephanie Waters in January 2015.

Moye, then 16, and Ryan James Hardwick, then 15, met Waters at a Woodbury parking lot to buy marijuana. Moye shot Waters twice, and Hardwick shot her dog, according to state police. Waters had met with them instead of her boyfriend, who was originally going to sell the marijuana to Moye and Hardwick.

The two juveniles then drove Waters’ car to Altoona, smoking marijuana, while Waters laid in the back seat. Her body was later found in the back of the vehicle parked at an abandoned house close to Salemville Road in New Enterprise.

Moye killed Waters hours after an interview with a probation officer for a separate case, according to Livengood.

Hardwick allegedly shared with police that Moye and he had discussed robbing someone for marijuana for several weeks prior to the drug deal with Waters and that Moye had been talking about wanting to shoot somebody, too.

The judge said Moye planned the murder before his interview with the probation officer and carried it out nonetheless after the interview, therefore, eradicating any positive behavior and rehabilitation efforts Moye made.

Moye was charged with criminal homicide, abuse of corpse, robbery, firearms not be to carried without a license, criminal use of communication facility and conspiracy in manufacture, delivery or possession, among other charges.

Mother reacts

Sally Harr, Waters’ mother, said she felt relieved by Livengood’s decision to reimpose a life sentence without parole, commenting on how Moye has shown no remorse toward her family.

Harr had addressed Moye in September in court, stating she forgave him for what he did, but that she would never forget that he left two bullet holes in the back of her daughter’s head.

“They don’t realize they gave me a life sentence because now I don’t have my child,” Harr said Thursday of Moye and his family. “And I will never be able to have my child.”

She added at least the defendant’s family can go see Moye in prison.

The Pennsylvania Su­perior Court had ordered resentencing hearings for both Moye and Hardwick following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that life sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional unless there is a heavy presumption that a juvenile cannot be rehabilitated.

Livengood said his decision was a difficult one, stating how he spent more time on Moye’s case than any other case since he’s been on the bench. Yet, he said there were more factors in the case that heavily weighed against Moye.

The judge added Moye was only 13 days shy of his 17th birthday at the time of the murder and demonstrated enough maturity and understanding of right from wrong.

The decision to kill Waters was a premeditated one — a choice that the judge described as “callous” and “cold-hearted” — and Moye exhibited violent behaviors before and after the murder, including arson, gang-related activities and assault of other inmates at the SCI, Livengood noted.

“This is a first-degree murder case,” Livengood said, regardless of Moye’s age at the time of the murder. “It was about killing a human being.”

Finding Waters’ body in her car caused public alarm, and the defendant chose to go on a joy ride over the victim’s suffering, according to Livengood.

Faced earlier charges

A presentence investigation revealed a history of thefts, juvenile adjudications, probation violations and numerous positive test results for marijuana. There were reportedly some incidents of arson as well.

In a psychiatrist interview, Moye allegedly attributed his actions to lack of love from his father and other difficulties at home.

Pittsburgh clinical psychiatrist Bruce Wright told the court in September that he could not say whether or not Moye is “irreparably corrupt,” adding the defendant showed both positive and negative indicators of possible rehabilitation.

Wright diagnosed Moye with conduct disorder, opioid abuse disorder and alcohol abuse disorder among others and reported on the defendant’s “dangerous impulsivity,” indicative of a lack of insight.

Wright said Moye told him that he grew up as a “corner boy” in Baltimore, where he sold drugs and took part in gun play. The defendant reportedly told Wright he started drugs at an early age and had a strained relationship with his mother and limited contact with his father, claims some of his family members scoffed at and described as lies in court in September.

Moye allegedly moved from Baltimore to Bedford at age 12 in 2010 to avoid charges for setting a house on fire.

While the judge acknowledged indicators of a difficult home life, he pointed out Moye’s mother tried to remove her son from Baltimore where the previous crimes occurred, yet Moye continued his violent behavior in Bedford, eventually progressing to killing a young woman and causing deep and visible grief to her family.

Extraordinary defiance

Livengood said the defendant genuinely apologized for his actions, but that Moye cannot blame all of his actions on environmental factors. Moye had demonstrated what the judge described as “extraordinary amounts of resistance and defiance” to rehabilitation efforts when he shot and killed Waters.

In interviews with a different psychiatrist closer to 2015, Moye allegedly said he was intoxicated to the point of blacking out and couldn’t remember killing Waters. He also reportedly added he brought the gun for self-protection.

Livengood told the court he didn’t find these claims credible, adding he thought Moye made the claims to lessen his culpability.

Hardwick, who was with Moye during the drug deal and who reportedly shot Waters’ dog, is currently housed at SCI Rockview.

Karen Ritchey, Moye’s defense attorney, said she is going to file an appeal.

Mirror Staff Writer Shen Wu Tan is at 946-7457.