Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that today Yuland Stanfield, aka Yuland Stansfield, (age 45), of Providence, pleaded guilty to the May 10, 2015 stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend, 42-year-old Christine Santurri of East Providence. Stanfield pleaded guilty before Superior Court Justice Sarah Taft-Carter to one count of first degree murder, domestic, and two counts of violating a restraining order, third offense domestic. Under the terms of the plea, Stanfield was sentenced to life in prison on the count of murder and 10 years each on the counts of violating a restraining order, to run concurrent.
Had the case proceeded to trial, the State was prepared to prove that on May 10, 2015, Mother's Day, Stanfield stabbed and killed Christine Santurri. On the morning of May 10, Stanfield, in violation of the restraining order, sent multiple texts, many threatening, to Ms. Santurri. That morning, he took a RIPTA bus from Providence to East Providence and waited for Ms. Santurri in the apartment complex in which she resided. After returning from a visit with her mother, Ms. Santurri was attacked by Stanfield. He forced her inside her apartment and stabbed her multiple times in the head and torso.
The defendant fled and was found shortly after in the muddy waters of Bullocks Cove.
"Mother's Day is a day for families to celebrate, thank and treasure moms like Christine Santurri, a mother of three loving children. Tragically, the defendant shattered that day with unconscionable rage and violence. His violence has left a grieving family struggling to understand why this happened and a son who doesn't understand why his mother – his best friend – is no longer there. While today's sentencing closes a chapter in this case, it can never heal the wounds of grief and loss felt by those who knew and loved Christine," said Attorney General Kilmartin.
East Providence Police Lieutenant Ray Blinn and Detective Matt McNulty led the investigation and Assistant Attorney General and chief of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit Daniel Guglielmo prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.