Dad Kills Pregnant Wife, Stabs Daughters Over Desire for Son
A New York father, Drew Garnier, 33, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally stabbing his pregnant wife, Samantha Garnier, 29, and brutally attacking their two young daughters, Izzie, 6, and Adelina, 9, in a violent outburst allegedly fueled by anger over not having a son.
The attack occurred on September 4, 2024, in the family’s home in Masonville. Samantha, who was five months pregnant with a girl, died alongside her unborn child. The two daughters survived but suffered severe injuries.
According to Samantha’s grieving father, Gregory Vernagallo, Garnier was enraged after learning the new baby would also be a girl.
“He wanted a boy,” Vernagallo told the court in a powerful victim impact statement.
Garnier pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and two counts of first-degree assault. He accepted a plea deal to avoid putting the traumatized children through the ordeal of testifying at trial.
In addition to the prison sentence, he received 15 years of post-release supervision and has been barred from any contact with his daughters until 2056 — a restriction only they can lift if they choose.
“You took a life and injured your children. They had a right to expect protection from you,” Judge John Hubbard told Garnier during sentencing.
The daughters, now recovering from their physical and emotional trauma, have been adopted by their maternal grandfather, who vowed, “I am their father now. I will protect them.”