Sophia Negroponte, the adopted daughter of former President George W. Bush’s Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Friday for the stabbing death of a friend during a drunken argument in a Maryland home.
Sophia Negroponte (Photo: The Daily Beast)
Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Terrence McGann said that Negroponte’s rage drove her to stab her friend in the neck.
Negroponte, now 30, was convicted of second-degree murder in January for killing 24-year-old Yousuf Rasmussen in 2020. Negroponte and Rasmussen went to the same Washington high school and had been drinking with another person on the night of the incident. Prosecutors said they had argued twice that night before Negroponte stabbed Rasmussen multiple times, including one blow that severed his jugular, when he returned to the house to get his phone. Negroponte was found inside the house, covered in blood and lying on top of Rasmussen, yelling “I’m sorry,” according to charging documents.
Sophia Negroponte was one of five abandoned or orphaned Honduran children who John Negroponte and his wife, Diana, adopted after Negroponte was appointed as U.S. ambassador to the Central American country in the 1980s. Defense lawyers argued that Negroponte was so intoxicated at the time of the stabbing that she could not have formed specific intent, saying that alcohol was a major reason that the incident was not murder.
The judge disagreed and sentenced her to 35 years in prison.
The case highlights the dangers of alcohol abuse and how it can lead to tragic consequences. Negroponte’s sentence serves as a reminder that even those with privileged backgrounds can face serious consequences for their actions. The tragedy of Rasmussen’s death has affected many lives and serves as a warning that alcohol can be deadly when combined with anger and impulsiveness.
The case is also a reminder that those who adopt children from other countries need to be aware of the challenges that come with the experience and provide support to their adopted children.
