Morrisville man sentenced in wife’s 2023 murder. What loved ones said
Michael Matthews had nothing to say as a judge sentenced him Monday for his wife’s murder, but Nabaruna Karmakar’s loved ones had plenty.
They spoke of her colorful wardrobe, her culinary flair, the way she adored her niece and nephews.
They spoke of all the things she would never got to do after Matthews, 42, shot her in their Morrisville home April 14, 2023, and tried to claim it was a suicide.
Karmakar, 33, had been devastated by the recent death of her dog, Boomer, but her family and friends knew better.
They knew how Matthews allegedly abused alcohol, dismissed his wife’s grief and belittled her. They knew of the work the couple was doing in marriage counseling.
It’s not clear if they knew Karmakar had asked for a divorce a week before her death.
Clad in Karmakar’s favorite color, emerald green, her loved ones spoke before Wake County Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway on Monday morning sharing memories of the woman they called “Naba” and “Bonny.”
“Gentle, kind and loving, she lived for her family and friends, especially her niece and nephews,” wrote Monita Karmakar, Nabaruna’s sister, in a statement read by Assistant District Attorney Christina Koscianski. “She was the life of the party. Wherever she went, she formed a community around her because of her ability to form connections.”
Morrisville police were called to the Seagrave Place home Karmakar and Matthews shared about 9 p.m. that night, when Matthews called 911 to report a “double suicide,” The News & Observer previously reported. Responding officers heard a sound like a shotgun racking as they waited for someone to open the door, Koscianski said Monday.
When Matthews did open the door, police found Karmakar dead under the desk of her home office from two shotgun wounds, one to the torso and one to the neck, according to Koscianski. The crime scene appeared to have been staged.
“Her hair was fixed, her arm was around a box that contained the ashes of her dog, Boomer, who had passed weeks prior, and there was a potted plant next to her arm,” Koscianski said.
A 12-gauge shotgun and a can of gas were also found near Karmakar’s body. Matthews told police he’d cleared the gun and it “didn’t work,” according to Koscianski.
A three-page suicide note on the kitchen counter appeared to have been written by Matthews on behalf of himself and Karmakar, Koscianski said. The note alleged Karmakar asked her husband to help her commit suicide because she was distraught over Boomer’s death.
Detectives discovered Matthews had visited a Bass Pro Shops in Cary the day before to buy the shotgun and ammunition, according to court documents. He also bought the potted plant, gas can and gas that day, Koscianski told the court.
Karmakar had previously attempted suicide, having been hospitalized after taking a handful of pills in what she said was supposed to be a suicide pact with Matthews, according to Koscianski. But Karmakar’s autopsy showed suicide was “highly unlikely,” with her two gunshot wounds coming from different ranges and “in quick succession,” she said.
Matthews pleaded guilty to second-degree murder Wednesday. As part of a plea arrangement, Ridgeway sentenced him Monday to a minimum of 13 years and a maximum of 16 years and nine months in prison.
Matthews is forbidden from contacting Karmakar’s family and was recommended for mental health and substance abuse treatment in prison, according to the sentencing order.
A civil suit lodged by Monita Karmakar against Matthews remained pending in Wake County Superior Court as of Monday morning.
“You took advantage of her ability to love and her kind soul,” Monita Karmakar said in her statement. “When she wanted to leave you, instead of letting her go, you decided to end her life so no one else could feel her love.”
