Topeka Man Faces 12 Year Sentence for Killing Girlfriend Aboard A Cruise Ship
In the first non-coronavirus related cruise ship news in some time, the sentencing for a Topeka Kansas man, who was convicted of killing his girlfriend aboard a cruise ship in 2018, has been postponed.
WIBW.com reports that in December 2019, 50-year-old Eric Duane Newman pleaded guilty to killing his long time girlfriend while sailing aboard a cruise ship outside of U.S. waters in January 2018. The sentencing was originally scheduled for June 5, but Chief U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson later rescheduled it to July 8.
Newman’s proposed sentence is 12 years in prison, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney called “balanced and fair. “The deterrent effect of such a sentence of incarceration, given its length followed by a period of supervised release and the defendant’s advanced age, is significant,” said Kenney.
Apparently Newman’s having taken responsibility for the murder contributed to his having received a relatively favorable sentencing request.
Newman killed his girlfriend during a January 18, 2018, cruise in which the two engaged in an argument after drinking separately aboard the ship. Upon returning to their stateroom and engaging in the argument Newman strangled his girlfriend and pushed her over the balcony, where she felt three-stories to her death.
Attorney John H. (Jack) Hickey and his team handle a wide range of cases, including but not limited to cruise ship accidents, admiralty and maritime accident cases, medical malpractice, wrongful death, premises liability, railroad accidents and car accidents. We represent victims from all over the nation, the world and the state of Florida.