Boretsky escapes death penalty.
By: Stephanie Brown
A state Superior Court jury last week handed down a sentence of life in prison to a Kingston man, a week after he was convicted of murdering his wife.
Boris Boretsky, 55, was convicted of both first-degree and felony murder on Jan. 11 for stabbing his wife, Saoule "Lana" Moukhametova, in her chest and killing her in March 2002. Mr. Boretsky had been estranged from his wife, who was seeking a divorce.
The jury met for parts of three days before handing down the guilty verdict. The same jury deliberated on the sentencing for a day.
Mr. Boretsky escaped the death penalty because the New Brunswick-based jury did not agree that the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating factors, said Assistant Prosecutor Nicholas Sewitch.
The aggravating factors were committing the crime while violating a restraining order and engaging in burglary (which is unlawful entry). Mitigating factors were that he showed remorse, was under extreme emotional and mental distress and that he does not present a reasonable degree of danger in the future.
The law requires a life sentence in such instances.
Mr. Boretsky will receive his sentence on April 7, before Superior Court Judge John Mulvhill.
Mr. Boretsky was charged with fatally stabbing his wife of eight years as she lay on the living room sofa of her Kingston home. Mr. Boretsky was indicted in 2003 on charges of murder, aggravated assault and criminal contempt for violating a restraining order and making terroristic threats.