MOTHER OF FOUR AND UBER DRIVER TRIED TO EARN EXTRA CASH. INSTEAD, SHE BEGGED FOR HER LIFE, AND IT WOULD BE HER LAST PICKUP.

A Pittsburgh man who shot an Uber driver and a mother of four will never walk free again.

Allegheny County Judge EJ Borkowski handed 25-year-old Calvin Crew a life term in prison without the possibility of parole for the shooting death of 38-year-old Christina Spicuzza. It took the jury less than an hour to find Crew guilty of first-degree murder, robbery, inflicting serious bodily injury, robbery of a motor vehicle, kidnapping to facilitate a felony, firearms not to be carried without a license, and evidence tampering.

Though prosecutors intended to argue for the death penalty, Spicuzza’s family asked the court to sentence the defendant to life based on Spicuzza’s faith.

"You should have the death penalty, but we showed mercy," said Spicuzza's mother, Cindy Spicuzza, reported People.

The conviction stemmed from Spicuzza’s dashcam footage, which showed her picking up the defendant, who used his girlfriend's phone to order the Uber on February 10, 2022. Two days later, officers found the victim’s body in a wooded area in Monroeville with a gunshot wound to the head.

During the trial, the dashcam footage showed Crew pull out a gun upon entry into the vehicle, prompting Spicuzza to beg for her life as she told the defendant repeatedly she had four kids at home. Furthermore, investigators found the dashcam at the point where Crew had requested to be dropped off. Cell phone tower records also helped investigators trace the defendant’s location in connection with the murder.

Crew’s defense lawyer argued that the defendant’s action was a result of a childhood surrounded by violence and neglect, with an IQ of 84.  Though Crew opted to be absent from court, the defendant maintained he was innocent and planned to appeal.  

“Given the overwhelming evidence supporting this prosecution and the jury’s verdict, it is extremely disappointing to have the public defender’s office attempt to characterize the investigation and prosecution as racial and political,” said District Attorney Stephen Zappala, according to WTAE.