A New York man who admitted to stabbing his wife to death in the backyard of their Long Island home as their horrified 15-year-old son tried to wrestle the knife from him faces life in prison at his sentencing next month, the Suffolk County district attorney said.
Ryszard Murawski, 44, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Tuesday in the January stabbing death of his wife, Wioleta Murawski, at their Lindenhurst home, DA Raymond Tierney said in a release.
"This is a tragic case of domestic violence that ended with the senseless death of Wioleta Murawski and horrific trauma to their child. This defendant will now have to pay for his actions in prison," Tierney said in a statement, adding that the father is expected to be sentenced to 22 years to life in prison on Oct. 17.
The teenager was returning home from a friend's about 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 3 when he heard his 38-year-old mother screaming for help and spotted his father stabbing her with a large, serrated kitchen knife.
"The boy jumped on his father and struggled with him until his mother was able to break free," the DA said.
Wioleta Murawski managed to stumble across the street before she collapsed with her son beside her.
She was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Ryszard Murawski fled in a black GMC pick-up truck and refused to pull over when police tried to stop him.
Officers using their sirens and lights pursued him for seven miles before Murawski lost control of the truck and crashed into a building, the DA said.
"He is very, very remorseful," Lindsay Henry, Murawski's defense lawyer, told Newsday.
"He's been overwhelmed [with emotion] every time I've seen him," Henry said.
