Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane announces that 19-year-old Jayla L. Mueller of Colden pleaded guilty this afternoon before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan to three counts of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (Class “C” felonies) and one count of Reckless Driving (unclassified misdemeanor under New York State Vehicle & Traffic Law). The defendant pleaded guilty, as charged, to all four counts in the indictment.
On Monday, February 20, 2023, at approximately 11:30 p.m., the defendant was driving at a high-rate of speed on John James Audubon Parkway in the Town of Amherst when she lost control of the vehicle on the ramp onto Millersport Highway. The defendant recklessly caused the death of her three passengers in the crash.
The victims, 18-year-old Azathiel Pabon, 19-year-old Isabella French, and 20-year-old Dakota Eldridge, were ejected from the vehicle. All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene. The defendant and a fourth passenger, a 17-year-old male, were taken by ambulance to ECMC where they were both treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Today, Judge Eagan committed to sentencing the defendant as a youthful offender on the conditions that she remain arrest free, comply with the pre-sentence investigation and appear in court for sentencing. Prosecutors stated our office’s opposition to youthful offender adjudication and intent to request that the court impose the maximum term of incarceration at sentencing.
If adjudicated as a youthful offender, Mueller faces a maximum of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison when she is sentenced on Monday, July 8, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. If she is not granted youthful offender status, she faces a maximum sentence of 5 to 15 years in prison. Prosecutors requested that the defendant be remanded pending sentence. She remains released under supervision.
Acting DA Keane commends Captain Kevin Brown, Senior Investigators Bradley Canzoneri and Brian Kern and Officer Heather Casselman of the Amherst Police Department for their work in this investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Paul J. Glascott and Assistant District Attorney Christine O. Murray of the Vehicular Crimes Bureau.