A Long Island husband admitted to fatally stabbing his wife outside their house as her screams caught the attention of their teenage son, who was returning home and witnessed the horrifying murder.
Ryszard Murawski, 44, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Sept. 17 for attacking Wioleta Murawski with a large, serrated knife in the backyard of their Lindenhurst home, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
The couple’s 15-year-old son, who had been at a friend’s house, heard his mother’s cries for help and ran to the backyard to discover the horrifying scene as he saw his father stabbing his mother just before 8:30 p.m. Jan. 3, 2024.
The brave teen jumped on his father and allowed Wioleta Murawski to escape from her husband.
“She was able to stumble across the street before collapsing with her son by her side,” the DA said.
A trail of a “substantial amount of blood” led from the area of the attack across the street to where she collapsed.
The “distraught” teen called 911 begging for police help as he “desperately tried to save his mother’s life.”
Wioleta Murawski, 38, was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, where she was pronounced dead.
Ryszard Murawski fled in his black GMC pickup truck as his heartbroken son called 911.
Police spotted Murawski, who led multiple officers on a chase for over seven miles before he lost control and crashed into a building near New York and West Hoffman avenues in Lindenhurst.
The brutal attack was caught on the family’s home surveillance system.
Wioleta Murawski was remembered as an “outgoing person who gave her best.”
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“She was a wonderful mother, sister, friend, and colleague who touched the lives of many. She left behind her two sons,” family friend Magdalena Kowalewska said on GoFundMe.
“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.”
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney blamed the murder on domestic violence.
“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. “Domestic violence is never the answer. I urge anyone in an abusive relationship to reach out for help through our partner agencies linked below. In an emergency, always call 911.”
At the time of his arrest, Murawski was charged with one count of aggravated criminal contempt for stabbing his wife to death, in violation of an order of protection issued against him by his wife a week earlier, the DA’s office said.
He is expected to be sentenced to 22 years to life in prison.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 17, 2024.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
