A New Hampshire man who repeatedly stabbed his mother last year over an argument over a PlayStation was sentenced last week to 40 years to life after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
In sentencing 47-year-old Thomas Humphrey, Judge William Delker described the case as “one of the most brutal murders that I’ve presided over” in his more than 10 years on the bench.
Police were called to an active fire at the home of 70-year-old Linda Tufts on November 28, 2023, at around 2:20 p.m., where they found Tufts dead from multiple stab wounds and partially burned.
After extinguishing the blaze, the officers found Humphrey at the bottom of the basement stairs suffering from “apparent self-inflicted knife wounds.”
Humphrey was transported to the hospital and in early December was charged with his mother’s murder.
The medical examiner determined that Tufts’ cause of death was multiple stab wounds.
According to prosecutors, Tufts had given Humphrey a PlayStation game console for his 47th birthday. On that day, the two got into an argument after Tufts complained about how loudly Humphrey was playing the video games. The argument grew violent and Humphrey stabbed his mother 22 times, nearly decapitating her.
Afterward, Humphrey set his mother’s body on fire and attempted to take his own life.
Humphrey initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and arson.
During the June 5 sentencing hearing, family members gave victim impact statements, expressing their anger and grief at the brutal murder of “one of our matriarchs.”
In sentencing Humphrey, Judge Delker told the defendant that given the “brutality of this crime,” he had no choice but to impose a lengthy sentence in state prison.
In addition to sentencing Humphrey to 40 years to life for the second-degree murder charge, Judge Delker also imposed a consecutive sentence of five to 10 years for the arson charge.
