Sophia Negroponte was sentenced after a retrial conviction for the fatal stabbing of her longtime friend during a drunken dispute at a Maryland Airbnb.
Rockville, MD – Sophia Negroponte, the daughter of former U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, was sentenced Friday to 35 years in prison for the fatal stabbing of her longtime friend during an argument at a Maryland Airbnb.
Key Points
• Sophia Negroponte sentenced to 35 years for second-degree murder
• Victim Yousuf Rasmussen was stabbed to death in 2020
• The conviction came after a retrial following an overturned verdict
Negroponte, 33, was convicted in November of second-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old Yousuf Rasmussen. The sentence was handed down by Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Terrence McGann.
Prosecutors said the killing happened in February 2020 during a drunken dispute at an Airbnb in Montgomery County.
Case retried after overturned conviction
The case went through the courts twice before the final sentence.
Negroponte was first convicted of second-degree murder in January 2023 and sentenced to the same 35-year term two months later. However, Maryland’s Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in January 2024, leading to a retrial.
A jury again found her guilty in November after several days of deliberations.
Prosecutors say justice served
Assistant State’s Attorneys Donna Fenton and Robert Hill prosecuted the case on behalf of the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.
State’s Attorney John McCarthy thanked the prosecution team and Montgomery County Police homicide detectives for their work in securing the conviction.
Officials said the Rasmussen family continues to request privacy following the lengthy legal process.
