New York man Joseph Abraham was sentenced Tuesday for the 2017 stabbing death of his 25-year-old wife Amanda Trenck. Westchester County Judge Barry Warhit called him a “gutless coward,” according to prosecutors. The 55-year-old defendant is set to spend 18 years to life in prison.
Trenck’s daughter with Abraham is three years old.
“She must spend the rest of her life learning to deal with the fact that her father murdered her mother,” Amanda’s grandmother Anne Trenck said during a victim impact statement. She did not say Abraham’s name, only called him by his inmate number.
According to prosecutors, the defendant and the victim got into an argument in the early morning of May 21, 2017. Amanda Trenck was found slumped over a bed with multiple stab wounds and a lot of blood around her, authorities said.
Here’s how her father, Jeffrey Trenck, described the murder.
“I have read the coroner’s report and the last moments of my daughter’s life were truly horrific,” he said during a victim impact statement. “She was attacked while asleep in bed and woke to multiple stabs in the back. She turned over and fought for her life only to continue to receive a vicious attack, broken ribs and several more stabs to the chest and neck and succumbed to these wounds and loss of blood.”
Amanda was declared dead at the scene, and two knives were recovered from the room, prosecutors said.
As or Abraham, he was found unconscious in a full bathtub. The right side of of his neck, and both his both wrists were slit. Cops interviewed and arrested him at the hospital. He pleaded guilty back on June 5 of this year.
“This is not a victory,” said Jeffrey Trenck. “There will be no celebration. I take no joy in the sentence handed down – I just want what is fair for the suffering that Amanda’s family and friends have to endure for the remainder of their lives with her loss.”
[Screengrab via News 12]