Boyfriend Sentenced for Tragic Death of Pregnant Partner

A young man from Kansas, aged 20, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for the tragic shooting of his pregnant girlfriend, an act he committed out of fear that she intended to leave him, as stated by prosecutors. The victim’s baby daughter, who narrowly survived the incident, now faces a life marked by severe brain damage and numerous serious medical conditions, including cerebral palsy.

Speaking at Matthew Criscenzo’s sentencing, the child’s foster mother shared heart-wrenching details with local ABC affiliate KAKE. “She can’t swallow,” she lamented. “As we prepare to celebrate her first birthday, she won’t be able to enjoy her cake. It’s likely she will never eat in the typical sense.”

Criscenzo, hailing from Sedgwick County, was convicted in February for multiple charges including premeditated first-degree murder, felony murder, kidnapping, and aggravated battery. The victim, 20-year-old Naomi Oglesby, was fatally shot with a Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun in May 2024. The incident reportedly followed an argument where Oglesby turned off Criscenzo’s PS5 controller and expressed her intention to leave, according to an arrest affidavit.

In a moment captured on camera while alone in a police interview room, Criscenzo reportedly muttered about the situation, admitting he had prepared her belongings and asked her to stop. He allegedly recounted that he pointed a gun at her, she tried to swat it away, and it accidentally discharged.

Despite the evidence, Criscenzo maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to the charges stemming from the fatal shooting at his father’s residence on South Laura Avenue. His father, who reportedly overheard the incident, discovered Oglesby with a gunshot wound to the head and promptly alerted the authorities.

“[The father] said he was baking a cheesecake and went to his bedroom after putting it in the oven,” the affidavit said, noting how the couple “stayed the night frequently” at the dad’s home.

“A few minutes after getting into his bedroom he heard a gunshot right outside his bedroom. He opened his bedroom door and saw Naomi lying on the ground,” the affidavit said. “He said Matthew was standing over Naomi and Matthew had a gun in his hand. He took the gun from Matthew and heard Matthew say, ‘What did I do?’”

Oglesby was 37 weeks pregnant at the time and medical staff delivered her baby via emergency C-section; the child survived but testing showed the newborn suffered severe brain trauma due to a lack of oxygen. Oglesby was pronounced dead two minutes after the baby was delivered, the affidavit says.

“Had the child not survived this, we wouldn’t be talking about a first-degree murder case. We would be talking about a capital murder case,” Sedgwick County District Judge Jeff Goering said Tuesday at Criscenzo’s sentencing, while denying a motion for a reduced prison term and sentencing Criscenzo to a total of 74 years. He received 618 months to life for murder, 228 months for kidnapping, and 43 months for aggravated battery. He would begin serving the 271 remaining months on his sentence if he is ever granted parole, KAKE reports.

“There’s no perfect way to say some things, but I never wanted Naomi to die,” Criscenzo told the court. “I certainly never wanted my child to be harmed.”

When officers arrived on scene after the shooting, Criscenzo made several “spontaneous” statements that prompted them to take him into custody — including, “I can’t believe I did this, just f—ing kill me” and “I didn’t want to, I didn’t mean to, I just didn’t want her to go and I thought she was gonna leave me,” according to the affidavit.

“Had he just let her leave the house, we wouldn’t be here dealing with this tragedy today,” Goering said.

“He ended her ability to be a mother to her child,” explained prosecutor Shannon Wilson. “He very nearly ended her child’s life. There is nothing that is appropriate in this case, but the maximum.”

Naomi’s sister, Ashley Stewart, told the court that the life of her baby daughter, Zy’nia, is “permanently altered” as a result of Criscenzo’s actions.

“[The girl will never be able to have a normal childhood or adulthood if she miraculously makes it to adulthood,” Stewart said. “He took two full, long, happy lives away from women who still had their whole lives leading a domestic violence relationship is the most deadly one. He ended one life, but altered many more.”

While arguing for a reduced sentenced, Criscenzo’s defense team told the court that he “has a learning disorder” and “deficits in memory processing,” per KAKE.

“He’s had some mental health services, outpatient treatment,” a defense lawyer said. “He is here today with substance abuse issues, which he’s trying to fight. He has mental health issues, which have led to suicidal thoughts and ideations before and since he’s been in custody, or the tragedy of Naomi’s death will only become compounded by a life sentence.”

Friends and exes told investigators Criscenzo was “violent and controlling,” and said he threatened the victim repeatedly just one week prior to the murder, according to prosecutors.

One pal told cops she allegedly witnessed a domestic assault unfold between the couple, during which Criscenzo was allegedly drunk and high and assaulted Oglesby.

“Matthew grabbed Naomi and bit her on the hand,” the affidavit says about the alleged incident. “Then he pulled out a gun and told Naomi he was going to ‘f—ing’ kill her.”

“He got the ultimate control,” Wilson concluded. “He ended her life.”