WORCESTER – Carlos Asencio was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the public murder of Amanda Dabrowski after a hearing in which he declined to be present in court as her family members read their victim-impact statements.
“You’re a coward,” Victoria Dabrowski, Dabrowski’s younger sister, said of Asencio during her statement.
The former New Hampshire man, after asking Worcester Superior Court Judge Janet Kenton-Walker to not be present in the courtroom for the sentencing, was placed in a separate room where he could hear the proceedings over Zoom.
Asencio, 32, was convicted of first-degree murder on two theories – premeditation and extreme atrocity or cruelty – last week in the 2019 stabbing death of Dabrowski at O’Connor’s Restaurant & Bar in Worcester.
The crime was caught on video and Asencio restrained by bystanders. Jurors, who watched surveillance video of Asencio stabbing Dabrowski 58 times in 15 seconds and heard evidence that he tracked her by taping a cellphone under her SUV, took less than three hours of deliberations to reject his insanity defense.
Life, with no parole
The sentence Asencio was to receive Thursday was not in doubt, as all adults convicted of first-degree murder in Massachusetts receive life in prison without the possibility of parole.
But such hearings give victims of the person convicted a chance to address them in court – as well as a chance for the convict to make a statement – and must be conducted under the law.
The courtroom was nearly full with observers at the 9 a.m. start time Thursday, including members of Dabrowski’s family, who attended each day of a trial, including graphic medical examiner testimony that coincided with the dismissal of two jurors.
Asencio did not emerge as the case was called and, after nearly an hour of waiting in which his defense lawyers conferred with the judge and prosecution, finally was led into the courtroom.
Five court officers flanked a handcuffed Asencio, and three more guarded the courtroom exit, as he, in halting conversation with the judge, informed her he wished to exercise his right to waive his physical presence at sentencing.
Kenton-Walker asked Asencio – who wore a suit and tie like at trial, but was no longer clean-shaven – multiple times to confirm he understood what he was doing and why he was being sentenced.
Asencio generally gave short, direct answers, often with a slight delay, and asked multiple times to talk with his lawyer.
‘Normal right now’
Asked whether he was of sound mind, Asencio said he believed he was “normal right now.” Asked about any mental conditions or medications, he listed several.
Included in the conditions were borderline personality disorder – which a psychiatrist for prosecutors at trial had opined he did have – and schizoaffective disorder, which the psychiatrist opined he did not have.
The psychiatrist testified that Asencio, who’d claimed hearing voices in his head, was likely not hearing voices but did show signs of faking mental illness.
After the judge Thursday informed Asencio that he had a constitutional right to address the court before sentencing, he wrote out a note on a yellow legal pad for several minutes, grasping a pen through his handcuffs as the courtroom was silent.
After informing Kenton-Walker he authorized his lawyer to read his statement, Asencio was led to another area of the courthouse where, under her instructions, audio of the proceedings was played over Zoom.
Family members of Dabrowski, a 31-year-old microbiologist prosecutors said Asencio murdered as revenge for ending their brief relationship, then spoke of their loss.
“I could count on her for absolutely everything,” Victoria Dabrowski said of her sister, whose ashes she brought to the microphone in a small purple urn.
Victoria Dabrowski, lamenting she would be eclipsing the age of her older sister soon, said she could speak all day about her virtues, or about how the loss has devastated her personally.
‘A pathetic human being’
But she reserved many of her comments for Asencio, calling him a coward who stole the life of an amazing person who still had much to contribute to the world.
“I hope you feel alone while you spend the rest of your life in prison,” she said. “You’re a pathetic human being.”
Both Victoria Dabrowski and her father, Edward Dabrowski, gave thanks Thursday to the many restaurant patrons who restrained Asencio during the attack and gave Amanda medical aid.
In addition to the mandatory life sentence, Asencio was also sentenced Thursday to 9-10 years in prison for stabbing one of the patrons, Allen Corson Jr., who was in the gallery Thursday but declined to give an impact statement.
Corson, who was not seriously injured, was previously given a Carnegie Medal for his efforts to restrain Asencio.
Also present Thursday was former Lt. Gov. and city mayor Timothy Murray, who also helped restrain Asencio that evening and testified at trial.
Edward Dabrowski described his first-born daughter Thursday as a beautiful, intelligent woman of whom he was proud.
A prestigious Dean’s Scholarship recipient at Northeastern University who graduated with a degree in biology and a minor in criminal justice, Dabrowski interned at the Massachusetts State Police, her father said, and was on the university’s dean’s list.
Dabrowski was equal parts smart, confident, funny and caring, he said, doing anything for friends and family and giving her love and support while expecting nothing in return.
Dabrowski volunteered her time as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, he said, and wanted to get married, have kids and contribute much to the world.
“The lives of many of her friends would be very different today had she not been part of their lives,” he said as he described a passion for life that was palpable to everyone near her.
“Her perspective on life was just that you had to enjoy it, plain and simple,” he said, adding that Dabrowski never judged others and helped them be themselves.
Dabrowski said there are no words to describe the heartache of his daughter’s murder, the fourth anniversary of which will be next Monday, July 3.
A sad time of year
“There are no more July 4 cookouts,” he said. “It’s now merely a remembrance of a sad and devastating time.”
Dabrowski recalled his daughter’s love of wine and her humorous blog about it, which had amassed thousands of followers on social media, as well as sponsors.
“Amanda, please have a glass ready as we join you in heaven one day,” he said, his voice breaking, adding that each passing day is closer to when they will be together again.
Dabrowski thanked the judge, jury and prosecutors on the case – Edward Karcasinas Jr., Tiffany Scanlon and Donna-Marie Haran – for their work.
“Amanda, you may now rest in peace knowing the monster cannot hurt anyone ever again.”
Dabrowski noted that despite the emptiness of his daughter’s loss, her memory is still alive and doing good in the world. “Amanda’s Army” has led to support of Abby’s House, a Worcester nonprofit that supports victims of domestic violence, and a formerly drab park in the family’s Webster town has been beautified in her name.
“We will continue to fulfill her legacy of goodness, kindness and love,” said Dabrowski, who is asking lawmakers to pass legislation that would extend workplace protections to contract employees who experience domestic violence.
Dabrowski was terminated, her family has said, after an initial attack prosecutors say Asencio launched at her Ayer home months before the murder. She was a contract employee for Bristol Myers Squibb, where she’d met Asencio, at the time.
Asencio still faces charges in Middlesex Superior Court regarding that attack. His lawyer, Robert Griffin, declined to comment on that case last week after the verdict.
Standing without his client Thursday morning after impact statements, Griffin read into the record the statement Asencio had written about 45 minutes prior.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to any victims of this incident,” began the brief statement, which did not mention Dabrowski or her family members by name.
Asencio went on to write that “despite what the court may have said, this is a mental health tragedy.
“I will spend the rest of my days trying to atone for this by helping others with similar illnesses, such as schizoaffective disorder, PTSD, borderline personality disorder and depression,” the statement concluded.
Asencio will serve his sentence at the maximum-security Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Lancaster.
His lawyer did not say in court whether anyone had come to support him Thursday, and he did not appear to acknowledge anyone in the courtroom gallery.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Carlos Asencio sentenced to life in slaying of Amanda Dabrowski
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