Bethpage Man Gets 47 Years To Life For Stabbing Wife To Death

A Bethpage man was sentenced on Monday to 47 years to life in prison for stabbing his wife to death, attacking his daughter with a knife and leading police on a chase before crashing his car into a gas station, according to Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas.

Robert Crumb, 45, was convicted in May of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment and resisting arrest.

“[Crumb] savagely murdered his wife, leaving his family with physical and emotional scars that will last for years to come,” Singas said in a press release. “While no sentence can bring Maria back to her family and friends, I hope they can take some comfort in knowing this despicable man will be behind bars for many decades.”

On November 2016, Crumb and his wife, Maria Crumb, were arguing over their pending divorce in the bedroom of their Seitz Drive home at 12:30 a.m. when he stabbed and slashed her multiple times in the back. The couple's then 12-year-old son tried to stop the stabbing by jumping onto the father's back, but was thrown off. Crumb then attacked his teenage daughter and stabbed his wife again in the neck.

The son called 911 and Nassau Police responded to the home, pronouncing Maria Crumb dead at the scene.

Crumb fled the house and led police on a high-speed chase, at times driving up to 90 miles per hour, on the Southern State Parkway and Belt Parkway. The chase ended when Crumb crashed his car into a Citgo Gas station in Brooklyn, causing it to burst into flames.

The DA says Crumb then charged at one of the officers, knocking him to the ground and causing him to lose consciousness. Several other officers jumped in and arrested Crumb.

At the trial, Crumb was acquitted of one count of second-degree assault and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Crumb's trial started in April 6 and he was convicted on May 4. The jury deliberated for about four hours.

Image via NCDA