‘May you rot in prison’: Family of murdered woman reacts to killer’s sentencing
By Isabel Litterst
Click here for updates on this story
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A man was sentenced for the murder of Laurie MacLellan, who was stabbed multiple times in her apartment in Manchester in June 2023, officials said.
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said Robert Eastman, 56, pleaded guilty to charges including second-degree murder and falsifying physical evidence on Monday.
MacLellan’s family and friends had the opportunity to address Eastman in court prior to his sentencing.
“I hope you are thinking of that day every day of your life,” MacLellan’s daughter said. “And may you rot in prison and never see daylight ever again.”
“Laurie was a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a kind soul, and most importantly, in our lives,” MacLellan’s son said. “The day she was cowardly taken by Robert will forever burn in our minds.”
Eastman’s lawyer read a statement he prepared.
“I hope each of you in some way can find some comfort knowing that I am haunted by this every day,” she read. “I never wanted to hurt Laurie, and as hard as it is to believe, I do love her.”
As part of the plea deal, Eastman admitted to stabbing MacLellan at her apartment on June 14, 2023, and leaving MacLellan on her apartment floor, where she was later found dead.
Eastman was sentenced to 30 years to life in state prison, with the possibility of two years suspended from the minimum sentence if he keeps good behavior for the first five years of his sentence.
In addition, the state attorney general’s office said, “The court imposed suspended sentences of 3.5 to 7 years on each of the falsifying physical evidence charges, and a suspended sentence of 2.5 to 5 years on the habitual offender charge. These sentences are all suspended for 10 years, beginning on the date of the defendant’s release on the second-degree murder charge, and are to be served consecutive to the second-degree murder charge and concurrent with each other.”
“Today’s guilty plea and sentence send a strong message that violent crime will not be tolerated in the Granite State. While we can never fully heal the pain endured by Ms. MacLellan’s family, we hope this outcome provides them with a sense of relief and justice,” said Attorney General John Formella.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
