Dawson man to sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for murder of Bullskin woman
Camilla "Cammy" Crosby holds up a picture of her daughter, Leah Owens, at a press conference after Thomas Nathan Teets, 32, was charged in the 31-year-old Bullskin Township woman's murder. Crosby said she would have wanted Teets to spend more than 15 to 30 years behind bars, but it was more important that she bring her daughter home.
Fayette County District Attorney Rich Bower speaks about the murder case of Leah Owens at a press conference after Thomas Nathan Teets pleaded guilty to third degree murder in the 31-year-old woman's death. Teets was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison.
Teets
Owens
A Dawson man will serve 15 to 30 years behind bars for third-degree murder in the death of a Bullskin Township woman, a deal the victim鈥檚 family agreed to under the assurance they could bring her body home.
Thomas Nathan Teets, 32, pleaded guilty Thursday morning in Fayette County Court to killing Leah Marie Owens, 31, on Sept. 15. He stabbed her to death and hid her body in a shallow grave where investigators said no one would have ever found her.
鈥淚 just pray to God that Leah is at peace now,鈥� said her mother, Camilla 鈥淐ammy鈥� Crosby, before Teets was sentenced. 鈥淚t took 45 days. We got her home.鈥�
Family members and friends filled the largest courtroom at the Fayette County Courthouse, clutching packs of tissues with dazed expressions, receiving encouraging pats on their shoulders from those already seated. The closest members of the family filed in behind solemn-faced investigators, expressions raw with grief as they faced Teets just days after their fears were confirmed that Owens had been murdered.
Crosby reported her daughter missing Sept. 20 when she failed to check in with family, a regular occurrence for the mother of two. After thousands of hours of investigation, state police charged Teets in her death last Thursday. They did so without having found her body.
After Teets was arraigned on the charges, investigators questioned him throughout the day. State police Cpl. Heather Clem-Johnston, who was in frequent contact with the family throughout the investigation, called Crosby to see if she would agree to the plea bargain if Teets confessed and took them to Owens鈥� body.
She responded, 鈥淏ring my daughter home,鈥� said District Attorney Rich Bower.
By late afternoon, police said he led them to Owens鈥� body in Dunbar Township.
鈥淒oes he deserve more time? In my opinion, yes,鈥� Bower said during the sentencing before Judge Steve P. Leskinen. 鈥淏ut we did this for the family, once we knew who the murderer was.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a different situation, and one that鈥檚 done at great speed,鈥� Leskinen said, adding that the plea agreement was below the mitigated range for third-degree murder. 鈥淭he family鈥檚 wishes are something we intend to honor.鈥�
When the judge asked Teets if he was guilty of all six crimes 鈥� third-degree murder, aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse, theft, robbery and tampering with evidence 鈥� he responded, 鈥淵es, sir.鈥�
Teets remained seated and turned toward Crosby briefly.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to say I鈥檓 sorry for hurting your family,鈥� he said, appearing unemotional.
Earlier this week, Owens鈥� older sister, Lauren Solosky, said the family could not bear to sit through days of a trial listening to the details of her death after already waiting five weeks to learn her fate. She called the waiting process a 鈥渘ightmare鈥� for Owens鈥� family and friends.
Shane Gannon, who was representing Teets through the Fayette County Public Defender鈥檚 Office, said he was involved with the case for several weeks, since late September when Teets was jailed for contempt in a domestic case. Teets told the judge he was satisfied with his representation.
Crosby, who is battling cancer, said she would wake up every morning wondering if her daughter鈥檚 disappearance was only a nightmare. She would wake often wake up in the middle of the night.
鈥淧ouring down rain, and the wind is blowing, and it鈥檚 cold. And you pray to God your child isn鈥檛 freezing. She鈥檚 not getting wet,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was horrendous for all those days.鈥�
The morning of the murder, Owens went with Teets to Crosby鈥檚 home. Both times, Owens asked for money, which investigators said was to pay a debt to Teets. Solosky also wired Owens money that day.
Owens left her mother鈥檚 house, saying she would be back in 20 minutes after taking a shower. Crosby left for her radiation treatment.
鈥淏ut I never heard from Leah again after that, and I knew within hours 鈥� mother鈥檚 intuition 鈥� that something bad had happened. I knew it,鈥� she said.
She went door-to-door, asking about her daughter鈥檚 whereabouts. Meanwhile, Teets dug a grave about two-feet deep and buried Owens鈥� body, less than one mile from where investigators said he bought drugs.
鈥淚t was in a heavily thicketed area where, in our opinion, no hunter or anyone else would have stumbled upon Leah,鈥� said Bower.
Charges were filed after lab results matched Owens鈥� DNA to blood found on a knife blade and identified Teets鈥� blood on the handle. The knife was found in a Owens鈥� abandoned car by Normalville fire department. Owen鈥檚 blood was also found on the car.
Teets cut off part of his finger during the stabbing, which Bower described as a permanent reminder of his crimes, dubbing him 鈥渢he nine-fingered man.鈥�
Teets confessed he murdered Owens to many people, according to Bower. The keys of Owens鈥� vehicle were found hidden in a vent in his house.
Members of the family exchanged hugs with investigators as they left the courthouse.
鈥淚 wanted Leah home. I don鈥檛 know what my future holds. None of us know what our future holds,鈥� Crosby said. 鈥淲e needed Leah home for her closure and for the closure of her babies, and for all this I thank everybody from the bottom of my heart.鈥�