Teen Sentenced to 25 Years for Prom Day Fatal Stabbing

Christopher Plaskon, 19, pleaded no contest to murder in March in the killing of Maren Sanchez, 16

A teenager from Milford, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for murder in the stabbing death of a classmate at their high school hours before junior prom in 2014.

Christopher Plaskon, 19, pleaded no contest to murder in March in the killing of 16-year-old Maren Sanchez.

Sanchez was stabbed to death in a stairwell at Jonathan Law High School in Milford on April 25, 2014. Plaskon's family and friends have said he was upset Sanchez turned down his prom invitation.

A judge sentenced Plaskon to 25 years in prison Monday morning, calling the sentence "appropriate, just and fair."

Plaskon, who chose not to address the court at his sentencing, will remain at Manson Youth Institution in Cheshire until he is 22. He will be eligible for parole in 13 years, after 60 percent of his sentence, because he was a minor at the time of the crime and has served two years.

Sanchez's mother, Donna Cimarelli-Sanchez, made emotional statements about her daughter in court before the sentencing.

"She was my partner in crime, my best friend, my greatest joy," Cimarelli-Sanchez said.

Her daughter was the sunshine of her life, Donna Sanchez said, calling Maren a hard-working and kind girl who had a profound impact on so many lives.

Maren loved music and inventing things, She learned to play guitar using the Internet, started a dog-walking business at the age of 9 and volunteered at the VA Hospital, her mother said.

Sanchez's father. Jose Sanchez, called the 25-year-sentence too lenient.

"My daughter is not walking out of her grave. Her mother and I will not get her back," he said. 

Before the sentencing, Plaskon's attorney apologized to the Sanchez family on behalf of his client and his client's family.

Defense attorneys have said Plaskon showed signs of psychosis and they considered an insanity defense.

State's Attorney Kevin Lawlor said the sentence issued was the best they could hope for based on the facts of the case, the defendant's age and changes in state law on sentencing juveniles in serious cases.

Sanchez's parents have filed a lawsuit, accusing the school system of negligence, saying she told a guidance counselor that Plaskon was troubled and capable of hurting others.

School officials have declined to comment.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us