The Cheektowaga man convicted of strangling his girlfriend, then setting her body on fire inside their home, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison, plus five years post-release supervision. The Erie County District Attorney's Office says the sentence for 59-year-old Thomas Murphy comes after a guilty plea to manslaughter in the first degree and arson in the second degree in October.
The DA says between April 22 and 24 of 2015, Murphy strangled 63-year-old Jean Hartwig inside their Williamstowne Senior Apartment and set her body on fire inside a bedroom.
“Despite all of our progress, domestic violence homicides are still far too common; indeed, one is too many," said Acting District Attorney Michael Flaherty. He urged anyone knowing a person at risk to call the New York State Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-942-6906.
