Teenager breaks down in court as he receives two life sentences for killing mother and sister at 13

A West Virginia teenager broke down in court as he was sentenced to two life sentences for the murder of his mom and sister aged just 13. 

Connor Crowe, 16, received an 80-year sentence after pleading guilty to two charges of second-degree murder for the September 2020 slayings. 

After gunning down his sister, 15, and mother Melissa Rowland, 39, Crowe attempted to claim an intruder burst into his home and carried out the murders, before he later pleaded guilty to the killings in November 2022. 

The murders puzzled law enforcement as they continue to search for a motive, with prosecutor Steven Dragisich admitting: ‘I don’t think we’ll really understand why.’ 

Connor Crowe (right) broke down in tears as he was handed an 80-year prison sentence

Crowe’s crimes shocked the small town of New Cumberland, a small town outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

According to the Weirton Daily Times, Crowe killed his mother and sister by firing several rounds into each of their torsos, killing them instantly. 

The 13-year-old then burst out of his home and screamed for help from his neighborhood, alleging that a stranger broke into his home and killed his family. 

Crowe reportedly told a neighbor he had managed to fire a shot at the assailant during the commotion and struck him in the shoulder. 

But the gun Crowe showed the neighbor was later matched to bullet fragments and shell casings from the crime scene, while forensics found the teen was covered in gunshot residue. 

Police also claimed there was no evidence of forced entry into his home. 

After the teen’s guilty plea, prosecutor Dragisich told Circuit Judge Jason Cuomo: ‘I’m cognizant of the fact he was 13 years of age, but my job and my duty as the prosecutor of this county is to protect the public and hold people accountable for their actions.

‘So, we will be seeking the maximum penalty allowable by law, a 40-year sentence for each offense, which would be a total of 80 years.’ 

Crowe’s trial also saw him reportedly unsure about waiving his rights, leading the judge to suggest he may have been given a reduced sentence if he went before a jury instead, according to Law and Crime. 

‘I don’t want anybody to plead guilty who is hesitant to any degree — I would rather have every defendant (go to) trial in front of me, all the time,’ he told the killer. 

But when Crowe attempted to ask for a reduced sentence during motions, Judge Cuomo slammed the teen and condemned his callous crimes. 

The teenager was just 13-years-old when he carried out the grisly 2020 slayings 

‘You’re asking this court for something less than the maximum so that you can make something of yourself,’ he said, according to WTRF. 

‘Your sister would of graduated high school I think about a week or two ago. She’ll never get that opportunity. She’ll never get to go to college. She’ll never get to walk down the aisle and get married and have kids of her own. 

‘You took that from her. You gave her no opportunity to make something of herself but you’re asking me to do that to you.’ 

Although the judge handed down the maximum sentence of 80-years behind bars, the killer will be eligible for parole after 15 years.