What did Samantha Jo Petersen and Sarah Beth Petersen do? Case explored as identical twins charged months after 2 Amish children killed in crash

Identical twins Sarah Beth Petersen and Samantha Jo Petersen from Minnesota have been charged for their alleged involvement in a crash that claimed the lives of two Amish children.

Fox News reported that the incident took place on September 25, 2023, when Samantha Jo Petersen was allegedly driving under the influence on a rural highway and crashed a motor vehicle into an Amish horse-drawn carriage. Following the crash, the identical twins were accused of switching places.

KARE 11 reported that Sarah Beth Petersen was charged in Fillmore County with 16 felony charges, including trying to take responsibility for criminal acts and aiding an offender, while her twin, Samantha Jo Petersen, was charged with eight counts of criminal vehicular homicide, including multiple counts of operating the vehicle while under the influence.

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Sarah Beth Petersen's identical twin had an expired driver's license and no car insurance

Fox News reported that the crash on September 25, 2023, also left two other victims injured. Authorities identified the deceased victims as 7-year-old Wilma Miller and 11-year-old Irma Miller. Two of their siblings, ages 9 and 13, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital.

According to the report by Fox News, at the time of the crash, Samantha Jo Petersen had an expired driver's license with no insurance for her silver Toyota 4Runner. Prosecutors claim that even though Samantha Jo Petersen was driving the vehicle that crashed, her identical twin sister, Sarah Beth Petersen, took responsibility when authorities arrived at the scene.

Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge said:

"Sarah was on scene a short time before our first deputy arrived. That allowed them to come up with this story where Sarah would take responsibility for the crash and start to mislead the investigation from that very point."

The report by Fox News stated that the identical twins allegedly swapped places as Samantha Jo Petersen was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash and was afraid of going to prison.

Responding officers allegedly recovered some burnt marijuana blunts and a tin can of pot in the crashed vehicle. Later, authorities obtained evidence that Samantha was also using methamphetamine.

Samantha was also reportedly caught planning the switch with Sarah Beth Petersen on a recorder of one of the responding officers. Samantha Jo Petersen allegedly said:

"I think one of the guys is onto me, but I really don't care … there's no way they would ever know the difference between the two of us, so they can't tell."

The outlet reported that authorities allegedly uncovered a text exchange between Samantha Jo Petersen and an individual only identified as "DH" where the suspect explained the swapping plan. It read,

"I don't think you realize that i did that…i hit that amish buggy and killed two people…made sarah come there and take the fall for it so i wouldn't go to prison."

Fox News reported that, as per authorities, Samantha Jo Petersen made online searches on her phone for phrases that included "what happens if you get in an accident with an Amish buggy and kill two people?"

KARE 11 reported that cell phone records placed Samantha Jo Petersen near the scene at the time of the crash.

As per warrants, surveillance video obtained from the suspect's employer's parking lot and video from a deputy's squad car dash cameras reveal that she switched clothes with her twin Sarah Beth Petersen at the scene to make their ruse more convincing.

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Both identical twins have been in trouble with the law in the past

Fox News reported that Sarah Beth Petersen had been in prison recently, which might be why she took the blame upon herself and helped her twin sister, Samantha Jo Petersen, who looked after her children during Sarah's time in custody.

In the past, Samantha Jo Petersen has faced at least two DWI arrests and has provided a fake identity to law enforcement. Her next court appearance has been slated for March 25, 2024.

KARE 11 reported that Sarah Beth Petersen is set to make her first court appearance on April 1, 2024.