Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Life for Stabbing Girlfriend 217 Times and Dumping Her Body in Marsh
SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS — A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after a jury found him guilty of stabbing his girlfriend 217 times and dumping her body in a marsh north of Boston.
48-year-old Bruce Maiben was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 40-year-old Sherell Pringle, whose body was discovered off Route 107 in Saugus on December 21, 2021 — two days after she vanished following a night out with Maiben.
Brutal Killing Sparked by Relationship Breakdown
According to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, Pringle told friends she was planning to end her relationship with Maiben shortly before she was killed. Prosecutors said Maiben became enraged when she said she was “done” with him.
Investigators believe the couple argued violently before Maiben stabbed her more than 200 times, then left her body in a nearby marsh.
When Pringle’s family couldn’t reach her the next morning, they immediately grew concerned. Using her phone’s location data, they helped lead authorities to the gruesome discovery.
“What hurts the most is, I told these cops from the jump to locate Bruce Maiben,” said Pringle’s son, Jahmani Larionne. “I told them day one — he lives in Lynn. You need to ping his phone and find him.”
Discovery and Arrest
Pringle’s body was found two days after her disappearance, showing signs of extreme violence. According to medical reports cited in court, she had been stabbed 217 times — injuries so severe that her family held a closed-casket funeral.
Police arrested Maiben on December 23, 2021, and initially charged him with larceny, tampering with evidence, and obstruction. The charges were later upgraded to murder after investigators linked him directly to Pringle’s death.
He pleaded not guilty, and the case moved to Essex County Superior Court.
Family’s Emotional Statements in Court
Pringle’s family members packed the courtroom as Maiben received his sentence this week. Her mother, Pearl Garner, confronted him directly in an emotional statement.
“You don’t deserve to be walking here,” Garner said. “You will get what you deserve because God don’t like ugly. You’re scum… I hope you rot in hell for what you did.”
Prosecutors argued that Maiben’s attack was premeditated and fueled by jealousy, pointing to a previous incident where he allegedly broke into Pringle’s home and threatened her with a knife.
Just hours before she was killed, Pringle had texted a friend saying she was “done with Bruce.”
Life Sentence Without Parole
Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said the verdict brings long-awaited accountability for Pringle’s loved ones.
“This verdict and subsequent sentence will ensure that the defendant will be held accountable for his senseless and atrocious conduct,” Tucker said. “Our hope is that the family and friends of Sherell Pringle can find some comfort in this outcome.”
Pringle’s obituary remembered her as a “natural-born leader” and “very ambitious woman” who loved her family and left behind a son and “a boatload of relatives.”
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