Ryszard Murawski, of Lindenhurst, sentenced to 22 years to life in murder of his wife, Wioleta Murawski

A Lindenhurst man was sentenced to 22 years to life in prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to fatally stabbing his wife in front of their son, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said.

Ryszard Murawski, 44, pleaded guilty in September to second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Wioleta Murawski, 38, in the yard of their South 14th Street home, which they shared with their two sons.

"Domestic violence is a scourge that tears families apart and leaves immeasurable trauma in its wake," said Tierney. "When abusers use violence to exert power and control, it destroys lives and shatters communities. No one should ever have to experience the pain and loss that comes from such senseless acts."

On Jan. 3 around 8:33 p.m., Suffolk County police received a 911 call from the couple’s 15-year-old son stating that his father, Ryszard Murawski, had stabbed his mother and then fled in a black GMC pickup truck.

The young man informed police that he had returned home from a friend’s house and heard his mother screaming for help in the backyard. When he ran to the yard, he saw his father stabbing his mother with a large, serrated knife, police said.

The teen immediately jumped on his father and struggled with him until his mother was able to break free.

Ryszard Murawski then fled in a black GMC pickup truck.

Wioleta Murawski was able to stumble across the street before collapsing with her son by her side, prosecutors said. Sounding distraught during the call, he begged the police for help as he desperately tried to save his mother’s life.

Teri Fabian, a neighbor, said she heard screams of "Mama" from the teen, and described the scene as "horrible."

Wioleta Murawski was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Meanwhile, as officers attempted to stop Murawski, he refused to pull over and a chase ensued on Little East Neck Road.

Multiple police units pursued him for more than seven miles with lights and sirens before Murawski lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the side of a building at New York and West Hoffman avenues.

He was taken into custody and taken to a hospital, police said.

An investigation later found that Murawski’s home surveillance system had captured his attack on his wife. Police also recovered a knife near the location of the stabbing, as well as a trail of a "substantial amount of blood" from the area of the attack to across the street where Wioleta Murawski collapsed, prosecutors have said.

On Sept. 17, Murawski pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

He was sentenced to 22 years to life in prison by Judge Karen M. Wilutis on Thursday. 

The district attorney's office is encouraging anyone who may be a victim of domestic violence to visit any one of these partner agencies.