A New York man accused of fatally stabbing his wife in front of their teenage son has pleaded guilty to the woman’s murder, authorities said.
Ryszard Murawski, 44, pleaded guilty on Sept. 17 to second degree murder for killing Wioleta Murawski in her backyard in January, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said in a press release.
On Jan. 3, the couple’s 15-year-old son called 911 after returning home from his friend’s house to find his mother “screaming for help” in the backyard, per the release. The teen told police that he witnessed his father stabbing his mother with a large serrated knife.
“The teen, distraught during the duration of the call, begged the police for help as he desperately tried to save his mother’s life,” the release states.
Prosecutors said the boy jumped on his father and struggled with him until his mother was able to break free. The woman made it across the street before “collapsing with her son by her side,” according to the release. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
After the stabbing, which prosecutors said was caught on his home surveillance system, Ryszard fled the scene in a black GMC pick-up truck. He was taken into custody after a police chase that ended when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the side of a building, per the release.
On a GoFundMe campaign created in the wake of her death, Wioleta was remembered as a “wonderful mother, sister, friend, and colleague who touched the lives of many.”
“Wioleta dedicated her life to raising her two sons and giving them a brighter future,” the fundraiser’s description reads. “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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Tierney called the murder a “tragic case of domestic violence,” noting how the couple’s son is left with “horrific trauma” after witnessing the crime.
“This defendant will now have to pay for his actions in prison,” Tierney said in the release. “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.”
Prosecutors said Ryszard faces 22 years to life in prison and is expected back in court on Oct. 17.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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