Sini: Medford man indicted for July stabbing death of ex-girlfriend

A Medford man has been indicted for the July killing of his ex-girlfriend, Suffolk prosecutors said Wednesday.

Wayne Chambers, 49, was charged with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Sandra McIntosh, 46, of Medford, a registered nurse and mother of one. Authorities said Chambers stabbed McIntosh 25 times before fleeing.

"This was a brutal, tragic murder that took the life of someone who had dedicated her life to caring for others," Suffolk District Attorney Timothy Sini said in a statement. "After allegedly stabbing the victim to death, the defendant took several steps to try to avoid being caught, including dumping the victim’s car, changing his phone number, and attempting to hide out at a motel. He was ultimately apprehended thanks to a multiagency effort, and we will seek justice for the victim."

Chambers’ attorney Richard Stafford, of Bohemia, said his client pleaded not guilty at his Tuesday arraignment in Riverhead. Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro ordered Chambers held without bail.

"He’s really upset about what happened but he said he has nothing to do with it," Stafford said. "He denied the charge. I know the DA’s office claimed they had a very strong case, but from what I understand and reading the eyewitness accounts, there was nobody that identified Mr. Chambers."

Chambers, driving McIntosh’s white Lexus SUV, picked up McIntosh from her job as a registered nurse at Stony Brook University Hospital at about 7:43 p.m. on July 22, according to a Suffolk district attorney’s office news release.

Some 15 minutes later, residents on Woodland Avenue in Holtsville heard McIntosh calling for help and saw a man alleged to be Chambers physically assaulting her in the street next to her vehicle, the news release said. Chambers then allegedly fled the scene, authorities said. A resident called 911 and McIntosh was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Chambers drove to the Bronx after the stabbing and abandoned McIntosh’s SUV and later fled to upstate Newburgh, authorities said. Chambers, in an attempt to evade police, turned off his cellphone and got a new phone number, authorities said.

Chambers was arrested July 30 in upstate Newburgh.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.