Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that a 46-year-old West Babylon man[1] was found guilty of Attempted Murder for stabbing his wife multiple times in front of their two young daughters.
The District Attorney’s Office is not naming the defendant in order to protect the identities of the victim and the child witnesses.
“This defendant attempted to kill his wife in front of their children after she told him that she wanted a divorce,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Leaving a relationship can be the most dangerous time for a victim of domestic violence. I want victims of intimate partner violence to know that help is available to them. Not only is my office staffed with incredible crime victim advocates who will support victims through each step of a criminal prosecution, but there are agencies within Suffolk County such as Long Island Against Domestic Violence and ECLI VIBES who are available 24/7 to assist with free safety planning, safe housing, food distribution, and counseling services.”
The evidence at trial established that on the morning of June 14, 2023, the victim was sleeping in the bedroom of their five and 11-year-old daughters after telling the defendant that she wanted to end the marriage. The defendant began knocking on the door, telling the victim that he wanted to speak with her in their bedroom, but the victim refused. The defendant pushed his way inside the children’s bedroom while holding a knife. The defendant then stabbed the victim three times with a large kitchen knife while yelling that he was going to kill her and then kill himself because she was ruining his family. Their oldest daughter pleaded with the defendant to stop, and he told the children to go to another room. The defendant also took the victim’s phone so that she couldn’t call 911.
Although the victim was in and out of consciousness due to blood loss, she managed to leave the house to seek help from her neighbor. When the defendant realized the victim had left the home, he chased after her and began kicking her in the face. Their neighbor called 911 after hearing the commotion, and the defendant fled. Suffolk County Police Department’s K9 Unit located the defendant in the rear of a commercial building a short distance away from the home. The victim was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital where she underwent blood transfusions and surgery to repair the injuries she sustained to her arm, hip, and buttocks.
On February 5, 2024, the defendant was convicted after a jury trial, heard before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Timothy P. Mazzei, on the following charges:
- One count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, a Class B violent felony;
- One count of Assault in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony;
- Two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Class A misdemeanors; and
- One count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree, a Class A misdemeanor.
The defendant is due back in court for sentencing on March 11, 2024, and faces up to 25 years in prison. He is being represented by Scott Zerner, Esq.
If you or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please contact the Suffolk County Police Department. Additionally, to contact the 24-hour hotline for Long Island Against Domestic Violence, please call 631-666-8833. To contact the 24-hour Crisis Hopeline for ECLI VIBES, please call 631-360-3606.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Zachary Kelly of the Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Bureau and Veronica McMahon of the Major Crime Bureau, with investigative assistance from Detective Cory Malinowski of the Suffolk County Police Department’s First Squad.
Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.