Prosecutors made one last offensive move on Wednesday during the sentencing of a Cranberry Township woman whom jurors found guilty of involuntarily killing her boyfriend.

Jessica Royall, 30, appeared for sentencing before Common Pleas Judge William Shaffer, who sentenced Royall to a prison sentence of 18 months to five years followed by two years of state probation.

Royall received 601 days of credit for time already served, accounting for her jail time since her arrest last year.

But before the sentencing, the victim's sister made a statement and prosecutors played a recorded call where Royall is heard discussing the case with her mother.

Assistant District Attorney Laura Pitchford had argued before jurors during the August trial that Royall intentionally killed Ryan Minett, 27, of New Brighton in March 2018.

Witnesses reported Royall speeding in a car with Minett clutching the roof racks before falling off at the corner of Cross Creek Drive and Little Pine Road and hitting a steel light post. The impact led to his death.

But after jurors deliberated for several hours, they found Royall guilty instead of felony homicide by vehicle and a misdemeanor charge of involuntary manslaughter. Additionally, they found Royall guilty of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, recklessly endangering another person and several summary charges.

Victim's sister speaks

Minett's sister, Rachael Thompson, recalled to the court late-night calls with her brother where they would discuss “anything that came to our minds.”

“He was painted out to be a terrible person,” Thompson said. “What was not said is how nice of a person he was. He helped other people with their cars, something he loved doing.”

Thompson was referring to Royall's defense, led by William Difenderfer, depicting Minett as a drug addict with abusive tendencies.

“Since Ryan's death, I've watched my father break down,” Thompson said.

Thompson read a statement written by her father. He recalled doctors declaring Minett brain-dead after the accident.

Prison call to mother

After Thompson's statement, Pitchford played for the court a recording of a call Royall made just before her birthday Oct. 31 from the Butler County Prison to her mother.

In the recording, Royall discusses the possible options Shaffer has for sentencing her.

“I'm supposed to cry and be sad and I'm not supposed to smile,” Royall can be heard saying. In the call, Royall expressed a desire to serve her incarceration period in county jail instead of state prison.

“I don't want to go upstate because it's very hard to get paroled,” Royall said.

With her credit for time served, Royall will soon be up for parole. In a county jail, people who have served a minimum are often immediately paroled, but in state prison inmates must go through a parole board for approval.

“I had my hopes for coming home, and now I'm so sad. I'll be stuck here forever,” Royall said. “My birthday is in a couple of days. I'll be officially old.”

Pitchford concluded the call demonstrated Royall's “difficulty accepting what she's done.”

But Difenderfer questioned the purpose of playing the recording.

“I find this insulting,” Difenderfer said. “It's quite frankly offensive. In my 35 years practicing, I've never had the commonwealth do something like this.”

Difenderfer said that during Royall's incarceration, she has used all of the programs the jail offered for self-improvement.

“She's already spent enough time in jail, so she could reunite with her kids and become a drug-free citizen,” Difenderfer said, asking Shaffer to immediately parole Royall.

Sorry for what she has done

Royall told Shaffer she was sorry for what she had done, and during her time of sobriety in jail “the fog of drug use dissipated and classes offered me a new way to live.”

She added, “There is no resemblance to the broken girl who walked in there 20 months ago.”

Shaffer declined to parole Royall on Wednesday, concluding that a state prison term is needed for Royall to continue her rehabilitation, and that anything else would “depreciate the seriousness of what you've done.”

In addition to the prison term and probation, Shaffer sentenced Royall to 72 hours to six months in jail, with immediate parole, and she must pay $1,225 in fines. She also must pay a restitution order of $785 and serve 60 hours of community service.