''kill her with my car... if I see her walking down the street.''
20-May-99 10:15:34
http://www.sybercuse.com/news/1999/02/18/smith_trial.html
Court arguments are expected today in the Wayne County court murder trail of Polly Smith.
The 18 year old is accused of killing Amanda Leoni last August in Lyons by running her
down with her car.
The 2 teens had been rivals for the affections of a man Smith had dated. The prosecution
rested its case yesterday morning with the defense using the afternoon to present its
entire case.
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http://cfra.com/1999/2/7/w201511.html
Teen romances gone bad leave two dead
Story Posted Sun Feb 7 20:15:11 EST 1999
LYONS, N.Y. (AP) - In Lyons, an Erie Canal village, two teenaged love spats ended in two
killings. Amanda Leoni was caught in the middle both times, first as helpless onlooker and
then, 15 months later, as prey.
The spats should have ended harmlessly, like adolescent tussles do every day in towns big
and small. Instead, the ordinary stuff of life turned deadly.
"I’d have to say everyone still is confused and wondering what went wrong,"
said Mayor John Salone, taking a break from chef duties at his Cafe Roma restaurant.
"It’s nothing you can anticipate, Unfortunately, a lot of people just shrug it
off as ‘another day in the life.’ "
Polly Smith, 18, goes on trial for second-degree murder Monday, accused of running her car
over Leoni last August for wooing a 20-year-old man whom Smith had dated on and off for a
year.
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http://dodgeglobe.com/stories/020899/new_0208990013.shtml
In a small town, two teen-age lovespats turn deadly
LYONS, N.Y. (AP) -- In this Erie Canal village, two teen-age love spats ended in two
killings. Amanda Leoni got caught in the middle both times, first as helpless onlooker and
then, 15 months later, as prey.
The spats should have ended harmlessly, like adolescent tussles do every day in towns big
and small. Instead, the ordinary stuff of life turned deadly.
''I'd have to say everyone still is confused and wondering what went wrong. It's nothing
you can anticipate,'' said Mayor John Salone, taking a break from chef duties at his Cafe
Roma restaurant. ''Unfortunately, a lot of people just shrug it off as 'another day in the
life.'''
Polly Smith, 18, goes on trial for second-degree murder Monday, accused of running her car
over Leoni last August for wooing a 20-year-old man whom Smith had dated on and off for a
year.
Leoni, also 18, was fatally injured just a block from her home in a sylvan neighborhood of
Victorian-era houses with roomy front porches. She had returned for the summer after her
first year in college in Philadelphia.
''She was the nicest, kindest person I've ever known,'' said Jenn Pullen, Leoni's best
friend since childhood and Smith's second cousin. ''She did everything she could to avoid
this happening and it happened anyways.''
Popular and bright, the baby-faced Leoni had just been through the worst year she could
imagine. Some people in this county seat of 4,200 people blamed her for her boyfriend's
death and, by way of taunts and dirty looks, never let her forget it.
In May 1997, in Leoni's driveway, Christopher Heise died of a knife wound to the heart
during a fight over her affections with his 16-year-old high school buddy, Gavin Dinneen.
Heise, who was heading into the Air Force, knew his two-year courtship of Leoni had turned
cool but wasn't ready for someone else nosing in. Riled at the sight of Dinneen in her
car, he jumped in with fists flying. Dinneen reached for a hunting knife hidden in his
boot.
It was the first teen slaying in the village's memory.
Dinneen was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide. Jurors decided he had acted in
fearful self-defense.
A year later, Smith made no secret of her dismay when Leoni quietly began going out with
her boyfriend, 20-year-old Justin Smith, who came from a neighboring town. She mocked
Leoni over Heise's fate and a witness, Adam Zulauf, alleges she even threatened last June
to ''kill her with my car... if I see her walking down the street.''
On the night of Aug. 24, the two women exchanged angry words, followed by Justin Smith
telling Leoni he was finished with her.
Leoni walked away down Church Street, in the middle of a thunderstorm, and Polly Smith
leaped behind the wheel of her car.
Witnesses told police the car hit Leoni hard enough to knock her over and then Smith
accelerated, jamming her under the engine.
Smith maintained she didn't mean to hit Leoni, only to scare her, and that she didn't see
her in the dark.
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http://lubbockonline.com/stories/022099/nat_022099056.shtml
Saturday, February 20, 1999
Last modified at 2:01 a.m. on Saturday, February 20, 1999
Teen convicted of killing rival
LYONS, N.Y. (AP) - A woman was convicted of manslaughter Friday for running her car over a
romantic rival after they had tussled all summer for the affections of a young man.
Polly Smith, 18, avoided a murder conviction but could get up to 25 years in prison at her
sentencing scheduled for April 13.
Ms. Smith sobbed quietly as the verdict was read and she was taken into custody. She had
been free on bail.
Ms. Smith struck Amanda Leoni, 18, on a street in this Erie Canal village in August. She
then hit the brake and ran over her again, according to witnesses.
Several teen-agers testified that Ms. Smith made it clear she intended to kill Leoni,
though she told police she didn't mean to hit Leoni, only to scare her.
Her defense lawyer dismissed the threats as "trash talk," pointing out that Ms.
Smith had jumped out of her car after the collision and screamed "`Oh my God, I
didn't mean to hit her, I'm sorry."'
But prosecutor Richard Healy maintained Ms. Smith was "in a fit of jealous
rage." She had been dating Justin Smith, 20, on and off for over a year when Leoni,
returning home from her first year in college, began seeing him as well.
Ms. Smith tried to scare her off, allegedly kicking and punching her on one occasion, then
forced a showdown the night of Aug. 24.
The women had an argument during which Justin Smith told Leoni he was finished with her.
As Leoni walked away, Ms. Smith hit the accelerator and struck her from behind.