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Ryszard Murawski, age 44, of Lindenhurst, was sentenced to 22 years to life in prison in Suffolk County Court on Thursday, Oct. 17. It followed his guilty plea to second-degree murder 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 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.
The boy jumped on his father and struggled to grab the weapon 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 captured the brutal attack. They also recovered the blood-soaked knife that was used in the killing.
According to investigators, Mrs. Murawski had obtained a protection order against her husband just one week before she was killed.
“This is a tragic case of domestic violence that ended with the senseless death of Wioleta Murawski and horrific trauma to their child,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney. “This defendant will now have to pay for his actions in prison.”
Mrs. Murawski was a Polish native who leaves behind two sons, according to a GoFundMe campaign created to help her children and cover memorial expenses.
“She was a wonderful mother, sister, friend, and colleague who touched the lives of many,” campaign organizer Magdalena Kowalewska wrote.
“Wioleta dedicated her life to raising her sons and giving them a brighter future. She was an outgoing person who gave her best. She was an amazing friend who always helped without expecting anything in return.”
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