CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Samantha Elise Stone, 28, was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of murder and impaired-driving charges in connection with a fatal pedestrian collision.
Stone, who had two previous DUI convictions, struck and killed a pedestrian in a marked crossing shortly after midnight on November 23, 2025. Prosecutors said she ran a red light at excessive speed and did not brake until after the impact.
A blood test showed that Stone’s alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. Investigators also found an open liquor bottle in the vehicle, which did not have the ignition-interlock device required under her restricted license.
Prosecutors argued that Stone’s previous convictions, treatment programs and court warnings showed she understood the deadly risks of impaired driving. The defense said she suffered from alcohol dependency and had not intended to harm anyone.
After a 12-day trial, the jury found her guilty on the major charges. On June 9, 2026, it rejected the death penalty and recommended life imprisonment without parole.
Stone’s attorneys have appealed the murder conviction and challenged the constitutionality of the fictional repeat-offender law used in the case.