'Mommy had lots of blood': Ex-Marine who fatally shot ex-girlfriend in the head as she sat on couch wrapped in pink unicorn blanket in front of toddler is going to prison for a very long time

A 38-year-old New Hampshire antheral is headed to situation for decades aft helium murdered his ex-girlfriend arsenic she sat connected the sofa with their then-4-year-old girl nearby.

Dustin Mark Duren was sentenced past week to betwixt 45 years and beingness down bars for sidesplitting 31-year-old Caitlyn Naffziger. A assemblage successful October convicted him of second-degree murder, reckless behaviour with a deadly limb and endangering the payment of a child.

Prosecutors said Duren and Naffziger were successful the midst of a nasty quality implicit the custody of their 2 children, past ages 4 and 1. In January 2024, Duren moved from his autochthonal Minnesota to New Hampshire and brought 1 of the kids with him. Naffziger flew from the Land of 10,000 Lakes to the Granite State with the different kid connected Feb. 27, 2024.

Duren, Naffziger and the 2 kids were successful his flat successful Berlin but the suspect did not privation his ex-girlfriend determination and "repeatedly" asked erstwhile she was leaving.

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"She ignored him oregon did not respond to his satisfaction," prosecutors wrote successful Duren's sentencing memorandum. "The suspect became frustrated, past angry."

On Feb. 29, 2024, Duren tried to unit her retired of his flat and permission the kids behind, which she refused to do. As she held the 4-year-old portion sitting connected the sofa with a pinkish unicorn broad wrapped astir her, Duren yanked the miss distant with 1 manus and fired a weapon astatine the near broadside of Naffziger's head, sidesplitting her. As an ex-Marine helium was an adept marksman and knew precisely what helium was doing erstwhile helium fired the gun, prosecutors said.

Later, the miss told a doc that the gunshot wounded her ears.

"Mommy and daddy were fighting," she told the doctor. "Daddy wounded maine and mommy. Mommy had tons of blood."

After shooting the victim, Duren grabbed the kids and took off, which sparked an Amber Alert. Witnesses said they saw Duren and the kids successful the parking batch of an Applebee's. The children were unharmed.

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Duren testified during the trial, claiming helium felt arsenic if his ex was going to kidnap the children. But the assemblage didn't bargain his statement and convicted him aft deliberating for astir 5 hours.

At Duren's sentencing hearing, Naffziger's aunt Shannon Spurgeon spoke astir the interaction the execution has had connected her loved ones.

"Nothing tin hole you for the heartbreak of losing idiosyncratic similar Caitlin," Spurgeon said. "Losing her successful specified a convulsive and senseless mode shattered everyone who loves her."

The victim's stepfather Tim Smith said the execution "culminated years of classical textbook home violence" specified arsenic isolating her from her household and controlling her.

"When the power that Dustin imposed connected Caitlyn, which was facilitated by utilizing their children arsenic pawns, was lost, helium knew helium had mislaid control, due to the fact that Caitlyn told him so," Smith said. "Like truthful galore abusers, Dustin resorted to execution successful a vicious effort to support that power astatine each cost."