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Ryszard Murawski, age 44, of Lindenhurst, was indicted on murder and related charges in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Jan. 18, in the death of Wioleta Murawski.
Emergency crews were called to the couple’s Lindenhurst residence on South 14th Street at around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 3, after their 15-year-old son called 911 saying that his father had stabbed his mother.
The teen was distraught as he begged the 911 operator for help and desperately tried to save his mother’s life, prosecutors said.
He told police that he had heard his mother screaming from the backyard after he returned from a friend’s house. He then ran to the backyard and found Ryszard Murawski stabbing the woman with a large, serrated knife, he told investigators.
The boy jumped on his father and struggled to grab the knife until his mother could break free. Mortally wounded, she then stumbled across the street before collapsing.
Mrs. Murawski was taken to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip where she was pronounced dead. She was 38 years old.
Following the attack, Mr. Murawski fled in a GMC pickup truck, prosecutors said. He led police on a seven-mile chase before finally losing control of the vehicle and crashing into a building near New York and West Hoffman avenues.
In addition to his son’s witness testimony, investigators recovered home surveillance footage that allegedly captured the brutal attack. They also recovered a blood-soaked knife believed to have been used in the killing.
Prosecutors did not speculate on a motive for the murder but noted that Mrs. Murawski had obtained a protection order against her husband just one week before she was killed.
“The sheer horror that young man must have felt to witness his mother being attacked is unfathomable,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
“The brutality of this defendant’s alleged actions are only made worse by the fact that he attacked the mother of his child in front of that child. Now, he will be held to account for his actions.”
In court Thursday, Murawski was charged with second-degree murder and aggravated criminal contempt, both felonies.
He was taken to the Suffolk County jail without bail and is due back in court on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
Meanwhile, friends and relatives continue to mourn the loss of Murawski, who leaves behind two sons.
“Our beloved friend Wioleta was brutally murdered on January 3rd. She was a wonderful mother, sister, friend, and colleague who touched the lives of many,” Magdalena Kowalewska said on a GoFundMe campaign.
Money raised will help cover the costs of mental health treatment for her children, and also to have Murawski's remains transported back to her native Poland.
“Wioleta dedicated her life to raising her sons and giving them a brighter future," Kowalewska said. "She was an outgoing person who gave her best. She was an amazing friend who always helped without expecting anything in return.”
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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