Anger, tears, sorrow as Drue is sentenced

They were young and in love and on their way to a sleepover.

On Dec. 1, 2012, their vehicles — and lives — met on the Northway about a mile north of the Twin Bridges.

It was the fifth time since 2007 that Dennis Drue, 23, of Halfmoon had caused a car crash. And this time it killed Shenendehowa High School students Chris Stewart and Deanna Rivers, while severely injuring Bailey Wind and Matt Hardy, both 17, the respective girlfriend and boyfriend of the teens killed.

On Thursday, a year and four days later, the survivors met Drue again in a Saratoga County courtroom — this time just before a judge sentenced the admitted killer to prison for 5 to 15 years.

First, the survivors and family members of Stewart and Rivers faced Drue and revealed their devastation, scars and rage.

"Within seconds our lives went black," Wind said from the witness stand as she cried. "And we lay in the dark cold woods pinned between trees flipped over, trapped, unable to move while our respective loves were dead next to us. You murdered Chris Stewart and Deanna Rivers. You are a murderer!"

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She graduated from Shaker High School and attends college in Tennessee.

"We were good kids having clean fun," said Hardy, a football teammate of Stewart's. "Why did this happen to good kids? Why?"

Drue pleaded guilty on Sept. 27 to all 58 counts he faced. He admitted he was drunk, speeding and text-messaging when he smashed his Volvo sedan into the back of a Ford Explorer carrying the teenagers. Drue, a five-time suspended driver, has 22 prior traffic offenses.

Clad in her late boyfriend's Shenendehowa football jersey, Wind called Drue a "cruel, twisted, sick human being."

Drue's attorney, Stephen Coffey, objected to Wind's remarks but was overruled by County Judge Jerry Scarano, who allowed her to continue speaking.

Assistant District Attorney James R. Davis said Drue inaccurately told a probation officer conducting a pre-sentencing report that he believed the victims' SUV was traveling 45 mph and did not have its lights on. Scarano reminded Davis that prosecutors once offered Drue a plea offer that would have carried 5 to 15 years in prison.

"Unfortunately, nothing that I can do from up here will make any of this pain go away," Scarano said. "I know that these four families will have to go forward and deal with this in their own way, but I hope everyone else will be able to take a step back, get rid of whatever bitterness is still there and I also hope that everyone who knew Christopher and Deanna will be able to take comfort in having memories that they have."

District Attorney James Murphy III criticized the sentence. He said the sentence was what prosecutors initially offered — and Drue rejected — before they had all of their evidence gathered. Once the case became stronger, Murphy said his office demanded a longer sentence.

He released a series of text messages sent out by Drue — moments before the crash — in which the subject of conversation was obtaining pot.

"You know I'm selling it, right?" one text said.

"Can I come get some in an hour?" another stated.

Witnesses were prepared to testify that they spotted Drue drinking heavily earlier that night at a restaurant in Colonie. Drue consumed four shots of liquor, mixed drinks and beer, Murphy said, but later claimed to police that he barely had one drink.

On Thursday, when Drue was allowed to speak, he said he was "beyond sorry" for his actions.

"I need to you to know that not a minute of the day goes by that I don't feel an overwhelming sorrow for the pain that I've caused," he said. "I never meant to hurt anybody and to be the enemy feels terrible. I take full responsibility for this. I know nothing I say can take away the pain, but I am always praying that you will find comfort in the Lord. I just want to say I'm so sorry — I really am. Anytime I'm watching football I think about Chris and I how, like, I feel wrong to even watch football. I shouldn't even enjoy that."

Stewart's mother said her son's toothbrush is still by the sink in her house, and she asked Drue if he left his toothbrush on his sink Thursday morning before going to prison.

"I hope every time you pick up your toothbrush in jail, you think of my grief," Stewart's mother said. "I do not hate you. I'm just truly sad, and I'm working on forgiveness."

Alcohol was found in Drue's blood, as were high levels of an active byproduct of marijuana, Murphy said. He said Drue was driving 81 mph.

Drue pleaded guilty to manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, assault, vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated.

Friends and families of the victims, in an online petition, had asked Scarano to impose the maximum penalty. More than 3,000 people signed it.

Last summer, Drue rejected the plea deal of 5 to 15 years. Had he gone to trial and been convicted, he risked up to 25 years behind bars.

rgavin@timesunion.com • 518-434-2403 • @RobertGavinTU