A teenager killed her dad after he refused to take her to the salon. An appeals court ruled that spending one year in jail was a fair punishment

Megan Imirowicz, now 21 years old, described her father as her “best friend.” However, in 2023, she was sentenced to one year in jail for causing his death.

She had already been in custody for about 17 months while waiting for her trial and sentencing, so she was released immediately after her sentencing.

The Michigan Court of Appeals recently reviewed her case but decided not to change her sentence, even though the guidelines suggested she should have been in prison for at least four years.

Judge Victoria Valentine, who handled her case, explained that the shorter sentence was because Megan was young, not fully mature, and likely to change her behavior in the future. Prosecutors strongly disagreed, believing the punishment was too light for what happened.

According to prosecutors, Megan attacked her father, Konrad Imirowicz, with lye, a dangerous chemical often used as a drain cleaner.

She threw it on him while he was sleeping, which caused severe burns all over his body. The injuries were so bad that he needed several medical treatments, including kidney dialysis, a tube in his throat to help him breathe, and the amputation of both his legs. Despite all the medical efforts, Konrad passed away five months after the attack.

The prosecutors explained that Megan was upset with her father because he had been drinking and couldn’t drive her to a hair appointment she wanted to attend before her 18th birthday party in 2021. The court found her guilty of using a harmful chemical in a way that led to his death.

Although the court acknowledged the seriousness of her father’s injuries, the appeals court supported the judge’s decision to give her a lighter sentence, saying it wasn’t a mistake. The court emphasized that the sentence was based on Megan’s age and the potential for her to rehabilitate.

At the time of her sentencing, Megan expressed frustration, saying the prosecutors had tried to make her seem like a “monster,” which she insisted she was not. She is now on probation, which means she must follow certain rules and stay out of trouble until July 2028.