WICHITA, KS — A 20-year-old Kansas man was sentenced to 74 years in prison Tuesday for fatally shooting his pregnant girlfriend with a Glock pistol after she grabbed his PlayStation 5 controller and said she was leaving him in May 2024.
Matthew Criscenzo of Sedgwick County was found guilty in February of premeditated first-degree murder, felony murder, kidnapping and aggravated battery for killing 20-year-old Naomi Oglesby at his father’s home on South Laura Avenue. The shooting occurred when Oglesby was 37 weeks pregnant, and their baby daughter survived but suffered severe brain damage that has left her unable to swallow or eat normally. Judge Jeff Goering denied Criscenzo’s request for a reduced sentence, calling the crime senseless and noting that if the child had died, prosecutors would have pursued capital murder charges.
The fatal confrontation began over a video game dispute in the 700 block of South Laura Avenue. According to Criscenzo’s arrest affidavit, Oglesby “grabbed” his “PS5 controller” and turned off the gaming system before telling him she was leaving. Criscenzo told police he had packed her belongings and was ready for her departure. “I got all of her stuff ready for her,” Criscenzo said while alone in a police interview room, according to court documents. “And then she walked out and all her stuff was right there, all of her clothes and everything. And I told her to stop. And then, and then I pointed my gun at her and she swatted it and it went off.”
Criscenzo’s father was baking a cheesecake when he heard the gunshot outside his bedroom, according to the affidavit. He found Oglesby lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to her head while Criscenzo stood over her holding the Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun. The father took the gun from his son and called police after hearing Criscenzo ask, “What did I do?” Emergency medical staff delivered the baby via C-section, but testing revealed the newborn suffered severe brain trauma due to oxygen deprivation. Oglesby was pronounced dead two minutes after her daughter’s delivery. When officers arrived, Criscenzo made several spontaneous statements including “I can’t believe I did this, just fucking 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.”
Friends and former girlfriends told investigators that Criscenzo had a history of violent and controlling behavior toward Oglesby. One witness reported seeing Criscenzo assault Oglesby while drunk and high, during which he allegedly bit her hand and threatened to kill her with a gun. The threats occurred just one week before the fatal shooting, prosecutors said. Court records show Criscenzo had made repeated threats against Oglesby in the days leading up to her death. Defense attorneys argued that Criscenzo suffers from learning disorders, memory processing deficits, and mental health issues including suicidal ideation, and had been receiving outpatient treatment for substance abuse problems.
Sedgwick County District Judge Jeff Goering sentenced Criscenzo to 618 months to life for murder, 228 months for kidnapping, and 43 months for aggravated battery. If granted parole, Criscenzo would serve an additional 271 months before completing his sentence. “Had he just let her leave the house, we wouldn’t be here dealing with this tragedy today,” Goering said during sentencing. “He ended her ability to be a mother to her child.” Prosecutor Shannon Wilson argued for the maximum sentence, telling the court that Criscenzo “got the ultimate control” by ending Oglesby’s life. The baby now lives with a foster family and faces lifelong challenges including cerebral palsy and an inability to eat solid food.
Oglesby’s sister Ashley Stewart delivered a victim impact statement describing how the shooting permanently altered her niece’s life. “She 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 ahead of them.” The child’s foster mother told the court that the girl, now approaching her first birthday, will likely never be able to enjoy birthday cake or eat normally due to her injuries. “She can’t swallow,” the foster mother said. “We are about to have her first birthday party. She will not get to enjoy her birthday cake. She will most likely never eat.”
During his sentencing hearing, Criscenzo addressed the court with an apology. “There’s no perfect way to say some things, but I never wanted Naomi to die,” he said. “I certainly never wanted my child to be harmed.” However, Judge Goering emphasized that the defendant’s actions were premeditated and avoidable. Wilson noted that domestic violence relationships are often the most dangerous, and that Criscenzo’s crime affected multiple families beyond just the immediate victims. The case highlights the escalating nature of domestic violence and its devastating consequences for both direct and indirect victims.
Criscenzo pleaded not guilty to all charges but was convicted following a jury trial in February 2024. The shooting occurred at his father’s residence where the couple frequently stayed overnight. Court documents indicate that the relationship had been marked by controlling behavior and threats of violence in the weeks preceding Oglesby’s death. With his sentence of nearly six decades behind bars, Criscenzo will be eligible for parole consideration only after serving the minimum term for his murder conviction.
Why not life without possibility of parole? Why should he ever be released to society? He has taken one life and destroyed the quality of another, with no rational excuse, such as self-defense.