Driver in campus

Hit-and-run driver sentenced to 40 years years imprisonment The driver in the hit-and-run robbery of a College junior last November was sentenced to up to 40 years in prison by a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge Tuesday afternoon. Judge Carolyn Temin sentenced 27-year-old Christopher Turner to two consecutive 20 year terms with eligibility for parole in 10 years for aggravated assault and robbery. Turner and Philadelphia resident Allan Waters both admitted to snatching the bookbag of College junior Roberta Koeppel as she exited her car last fall on the 4000 block of Locust Street. Waters held onto the bag, which was slung around Koeppel's chest, as Turner accelerated the van they were driving in, dragging her about 30 feet. When the bag snapped, Koeppel fell to the ground. Turner then backed the van up, running over the student. He then drove forwards, running over her again, according to court records. The hit-and-run robbery left Koeppel seriously injured, but she has since fully recovered. Waters was sentenced to 15 years in prison last month for his part in the incident. Temin said during sentencing that she handed down an especially harsh prison term because she felt Turner's crime was particularly vicious and immoral, and explained to the court that she gave a sentence which exceeded the recommended court guidelines for the charges. She said that not only did Turner commit violent actions, but he showed no insight into the wrongness of his behavior. During a pre-sentencing psychological examination, doctors found that Turner suffered from undifferentiated schizophrenia, a mental illness which requires that Turner be constantly medicated. Temin said Turner's psychological illness only exacerbated his problems. "The sentence reflects the violent abhorrent nature of the crime and the dangerous nature of the person," she said. Before announcing his sentence, Temin cited Turner's strife-torn upbringing as a possible motive for his crimes. Turner's father and brother both committed suicide during his childhood. The sentencing was attended by several of Koeppel's friends from the University, as well as Sandra Motteles and Ruth Wells of the University's Victim Support Services Department. Motteles said she was "very happy" with the verdict, and she felt that "justice was best served by taking [Turner] off the streets." Motteles called Turner a "a walking time bomb who exhibited uncontrollable and unpredictable behavior." She added that she was pleased to see Koeppel's friends were continuing their support by coming to the sentencing, saying that they have helped Koeppel greatly. Motteles also said Koeppel has made "miraculous" progress in recovering from the robbery, referring to the attack as a "life-altering event." Assistant District Attorney James Lyons, who prosecuted the case, also said he was very pleased with the sentence. "This guy is a very dangerous man. He has proven it before that if free he would [commit a crime] again," Lyons said. "He is a predator." Before the sentence was announced, Turner's defense attorney, Barnaby Wittels, described Turner as a "sick individual" to the judge, and said that Turner knows that he must be incarcerated. After the sentencing, Wittels said the sentence imposed by Temin was harsh, but he was not surprised by its severity. "What is an appropriate sentence for someone as sick as he and has done something as horrible as he has?" asked Wittels. "It is evident that the court only wants vengeance." (CUT LINE) Please see ROBBERY, page 7 ROBBERY, from page 1

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