The New Hampshire man convicted of killing his 22-year-old wife in Bolton, Vermont, will spend the next four decades in prison.
Joseph Ferlazzo was sentenced on Thursday, April 24, in a Vermont courtroom to 42 and a half years behind bars without the possibility of parole. He was convicted in Decemberover the killing of his wife, Emily Jean, during a trip to celebrated their first wedding anniversary in October 2021.
Ferlazzo was arrested in October 2021, after Emily was reported missing. Emily's dismembered remains were found in the couple's camper four days after she was reported missing and after the arrest of her husband, who is a tattoo artist by profession.
Defense Claimed Ferlazzo Shot Emily in Self-Defense, Said She was Abusive
Prosecutors argued that Ferlazzo shot his wife during an argument in their camper just hours after they arrived in Bolton, Vermont, on October 15, 2021 in what they called a pre-meditated killing. He then dismembered her body in the van and spent days preparing a cover-up, they said.
Defense attorneys argued that Ferlazzo shot his nurse wife in self-defense, although he made no such claim in a confession made on his arrest in 2021. The defense said there had been a pattern of abuse in their relationship and that Emily had previously hit Joseph multiple times.
Ferlazzo claimed that his wife pulled a handgun from behind a pillow while they argued and said, "That's it. You're dead," so he shot her with a gun he already had in his hand. He testified that he didn't even remember talking to police four days after the murder so couldn't explain why he didn't think to claim self-defense at that time.
On cross-examination, he admitted that also didn't think to call 911 after the shooting and instead sat with the body "before drinking more."
Judge Said Ferlazzo's Testimony was Not Believable
In reaching the sentence of 42-and-a-half years, Vermont Superior Court Judge John Pacht said Ferlazzo's testimony during the trial about the murder and the actions after the fact were not believable. He said there is only one victim in this case and that was Emily.
Ferlazzo's attorney, Margaret Jansch, asked for a much lesser sentence of 15 years to serve, but said she was not surprised by the judge's decision.
"We will be appealing. It's an automatic appeal because it's a life sentence case in any case, and I do think there are some things that happened during the trial that would be good basis for an appeal," Jansch said.
'Justice is Done'
Emily's family spoke about the impact her death has had on them. "We aren't here to see him. We're here today to ensure justice is done for Emily," said David Bass, Emily's father.
"A mother, an auntie, a grandmother, a best friend: the labels she was denied the day she was murdered," said Adrienne Bass, Emily's mother.
When asked if he wanted to give a statement, Ferlazzo addressed the court and Emily's mother directly. While he expressed some remorse, his self-defense claim was still a focus.
"Emily was my whole world and she convinced me that I was in jeopardy. I reacted too aggressively and has been the worst mistake in the history of my time. Wishing anything else would have played out is a part of every day since," Ferlazzo said.
