Wayne Chambers, a 51-year-old convicted felon, has been sentenced to a life term of 25 years in prison for the brutal murder of his former girlfriend, Sandra McIntosh, 46. The sentencing took place in New York, following Chambers’ conviction for the crime committed in July 2021. McIntosh, a nurse at Stony Brook University Hospital, was stabbed over 25 times by Chambers post their breakup.
District Attorney Tierney expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and hoped that the severe sentence would bring them some solace. He described the crime as a cold-blooded act committed without remorse. Chambers was found guilty of second-degree murder in December, according to legal news outlet Law&Crime.
The prosecution detailed the events of the fateful day, stating that Chambers had picked McIntosh up around 8 p.m. He had dropped her off at work earlier that day and had been driving her white Lexus SUV. The couple had separated months prior, and Chambers had mentioned picking up some of his belongings from McIntosh’s residence, as reported by New York ABC affiliate WABC.
Witnesses reported seeing Chambers driving erratically before stopping near a wooded area in Holtsville. They later saw him in a physical altercation with McIntosh, and heard her screams. Chambers was seen assaulting McIntosh and trying to drag her out of the woods by her hair. The prosecution stated that Chambers stabbed McIntosh at least 25 times, puncturing her heart and lung.
After realizing he had been seen, Chambers fled the scene in McIntosh’s car, leaving her severely injured. A local resident found McIntosh after hearing her cries for help. She was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The victim’s cousin, Tanisha Evans, expressed the family’s devastation to local affiliate WCBS-TV. Suffolk County police testified that they found McIntosh’s car in the Bronx, with what appeared to be blood stains both inside and outside the vehicle. DNA tests confirmed the presence of both McIntosh’s and Chambers’ DNA in the stains.
Surveillance footage from the area showed Chambers arriving at a Bronx residence in the white Lexus. He was seen exiting the car, holding what seemed to be a cellphone. Investigators also spoke to an acquaintance of Chambers, who lived near the crime scene. She reported that Chambers had visited her home on the night of the murder, sporting a bandaged cut on his finger and a blood stain on his shirt.
Chambers was arrested a week after the crime at a hotel in Newburg, New York. He had previously served 14 years of a 19-year sentence for a first-degree robbery conviction in 1999.