A Chatham man who murdered his girlfriend has received a life sentence and must serve at least 14 years in the penitentiary before he can apply for parole.
Stephen Thompson, 44, was in an intimate relationship with victim Cynthia Sitzes, 44, of Bothwell for about four months before she was stabbed 21 times on July 1, 2022 at a Bedford Street apartment in Chatham after a disagreement about content on her phone. Her half naked body was discovered three days later at Thompson's apartment. She had been stabbed in the face, head, and neck area with a pocket knife that was sitting on the coffee table.
Sitzes had also been attacked by Thompson two weeks before the murder, giving her a broken nose, a black eye, and a swollen lip.
Thompson pleaded guilty to second degree murder, but not guilty to first degree murder in Chatham Superior Court on July 4, 2023.
The judge noted it was brutal and gruesome attack that was fueled by jealous rage, but also gave Thompson credit for cooperating with police when he was arrested by admitting to the murder, providing an audio/video statement afterwards, waiving a preliminary hearing, and pleading guilty to save valuable court time and more grief for the family during a trial.
The court was told Thompson has a good relationship with his mother, but his father rejected him at a young age.
He also has a history of methamphetamine use, anger management issues, and violence, but has "a real potential for rehabilitation" in prison, according to the judge.
The judge said there were other factors that he weighed, including Thompson's remorse, his common-law partner dying of COVID-19 in 2022, and his brother committing suicide shortly after.
The judge also said Thompson suffered from rejection issues and jealousy when it came to relationships.
The court was told the family has suffered greatly and wears Cynthia's ashes around their necks.
Thompson also has a life time ban on weapons and must provide a DNA sample.