EASTON, Pa. — A woman who allegedly hosted a beer party for her teenage daughters and their friends could spend up to nine years in prison after three partygoers died in a drunken-driving accident, authorities said Friday.
In what prosecutors called the first case of its kind in Pennsylvania, Judith McCloskey, 41, of Slate Belt, was charged with three counts each of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment, and 49 counts of corruption of minors. She faces a preliminary hearing Sept. 10.
State police said between 50 and 100 guests aged 15-19 attended the April 28 party in the basement of the McCloskey home, where they allegedly drank beer and smoked marijuana as the woman looked on.
Early the next morning, three of her teenage guests — Christopher Mowad, 19; Bryan Kiefer, 18; and Kimberly Byrne, 18 — died in nearby Washington Township when their sport utility vehicle veered off the road at a speed of 80 mph. State police said Mowad, who was driving, had a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit. Authorities said he had been visibly drunk before he left the McCloskey home.
"This woman is symbolic of a problem we see lots of: adults who think it's OK to allow teenagers to gather at their homes and consume alcohol," Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said.