Springfield man sentenced for wife’s murder, 41 years after killing first spouse
SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield man once convicted of murdering his wife in the 1980s has been sentenced to 25 years to life for the slaying of a second spouse, according to the Hampden District Attorney's Office.
Kenneth Robson, 68, recently pleaded guilty on Sept. 22 to second-degree murder in the killing of his wife, Quitiza Holmes , last year.
Robson told police that he had ingested drugs and blamed his actions on their effects, a statement from the DA's Office said.
At around 4:52 a.m. on April 30, 2024, Robson called 911, claiming he had "hit his wife with a hammer, and she might be dead," the statement said.
Dispatchers told Robson to exit the home, where he surrendered to police.
Upon their arrival, police found Holmes lying face down in a pool of blood. She was suffering from "catastrophic head injuries and apparent defensive wounds," the DA's statement said. Police found a blood-stained hammer with a wooden handle nearby Holmes, the statement said.
Holmes was transported to Baystate Medical Center, where she remained until her death on May 16, 2024.
At Holyoke District Court in 1984, Kenneth Robson was charged with stabbing death of his wife, Joan Cusson. (Mario Sarno / The Republican, File)Mario Sarno / The Republican, File
Forty years prior to Holmes' slaying, Robson was convicted of murdering his then-wife, Joan Cusson, the DA's Office said. Cusson's family "voiced outrage that Robson had been released from prison and allowed the opportunity to commit another violent act, underscoring their enduring grief and frustration," the statement said.
Members of Cusson's family attended each court proceeding in the Holmes case, according to the DA.
"This was a brutal and senseless attack that ended the life of Quitiza Holmes, a woman who should still be with her family and community today," said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni. "With today's sentence, (Robson) will spend the remainder of his life in prison and will never again have the opportunity to harm another person."
Springfield Police Capt. Trent Duda investigated the case alongside the department's Homicide Unit. The Hampden DA's Murder Unit also worked on the case.
Assistant District Attorneys Michael Cashman and Cindy Payne represented the commonwealth. Stacy Martel served as victim-witness advocate.
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