A Lindenhurst man is facing 22 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to fatally stabbing his wife in their backyard while their teenage son watched in horror, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney announced today.
Ryszard Murawski, 44, admitted to the brutal murder of his wife, Wioleta Murawski, during a January 3, 2024, attack that has left their family shattered. Their 15-year-old son called 911, frantically pleading for help after witnessing his father stab his mother with a large, serrated knife. The teen told police that he had returned home from a friend’s house when he heard his mother screaming for help in the backyard. Rushing outside, he saw his father attacking his mother and tried to intervene.
The boy jumped on his father, struggling to stop the assault, giving his mother a brief chance to break free. Wioleta managed to stumble across the street, where she collapsed with her son at her side. Despite his efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead shortly after being rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital.
After the stabbing, Murawski fled the scene in a black GMC pick-up truck. When police attempted to stop him, he refused to pull over, leading officers on a high-speed chase that spanned more than seven miles. The pursuit ended when Murawski crashed his vehicle into the side of a building.
Home surveillance footage captured the grisly murder, providing damning evidence against Murawski. On September 17, he pled guilty to second-degree murder, a Class A felony, before Judge Karen M. Wilutis. He is expected to be sentenced to 22 years to life in prison at his next court appearance on October 17, 2024.
“This is a tragic case of domestic violence that ended with the senseless death of Wioleta Murawski and horrific trauma to their child,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Domestic violence is never the answer. I urge anyone in an abusive relationship to seek help.”
Murawski is being represented by attorney Lindsay Henry, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sheetal Shetty of the Homicide Bureau. Detective Adam Quinones of the Suffolk County Police Department led the investigation.
For those in need of assistance, help is available through local domestic violence agencies. In an emergency, always call 911.
