Father admits stabbing wife to death in backyard in front of son – NBC New York

A Long Island man admitted to stabbing his wife to death in the backyard of their home in front of the couple's teenage son, prosecutors said.

Ryszard Murawski pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Wioleta Murawski, in their Lindenhurst yard on Jan. 3, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced Tuesday.

Around 8:30 p.m. that evening, police received a call from the couple's 15-year-old son. He told officers his father had stabbed his mother to death before driving away in a black GMC pickup truck, according to court documents and Murawski's confession. The distraught teen pleaded for help and desperately tried to save his mother's life, but to no avail.

The son told police he was at a friend's house and had just returned home when he heard his mother screaming for help in the backyard. He ran to see what was going on and saw his father stabbing her with a large, serrated knife, prosecutors said.

The boy jumped on his father and wrestled with him until the mother was able to free herself. She stumbled across the street and eventually collapsed, her son beside her, court documents say.

Wioleta Murawski was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Police tried to stop Murawski as he drove away in the truck, but he refused to stop, so officers continued the pursuit. Several officers pursued Murawski for more than seven miles before he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the side of a building, prosecutors said.

“This is a tragic case of domestic violence that resulted in the senseless death of Wioleta Murawski and horrific trauma for her child. The defendant will now spend time in prison to pay for his actions,” said District Attorney Tierney.

Murawski pleaded guilty on Tuesday and is expected to receive a sentence of 22 years to life in prison. The 44-year-old's next court date is scheduled for October 17. Murawski is represented by Lindsay Henry.