Springfield Man Kills Second Wife After Being Released for First Wife’s Murder
September 30, 2025 – Springfield, Massachusetts — Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni announced that 68-year-old Kenneth Robson of Springfield has been sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison after pleading guilty to Second Degree Murder in connection with the 2024 killing of his wife, 45-year-old Quitiza Holmes.
Authorities reported that on April 30, 2024, around 4:52 a.m., Robson called 911, identifying himself and stating that he needed an ambulance because “he hit his wife with a hammer and she might be dead.” Following instructions from dispatchers, Robson exited the residence on Federal Street and surrendered to police officers without resistance.
Inside, officers discovered Holmes lying face down in a pool of blood, suffering from severe head trauma and defensive wounds. A blood-stained wooden-handled hammer was recovered nearby. Holmes was transported to Baystate Medical Center, where she remained hospitalized for over two weeks before succumbing to her injuries on May 16, 2024.
During the investigation, Robson made multiple spontaneous statements to police, claiming that he had ingested drugs that “weren’t what he expected,” and attempted to blame his actions on their effects.
A Repeat Offender and a Family’s Lingering Pain
This was not the first time Robson had taken the life of a spouse. In 1984, he was convicted of murdering his then-wife, Joan Cusson, a crime that devastated her family and community. Members of Cusson’s family remained closely involved in this latest case, attending nearly every court proceeding and expressing deep frustration that Robson had ever been released from prison. They emphasized that his freedom enabled him to commit another violent act, echoing decades of grief and anger that continue to this day.
District Attorney Gulluni condemned the brutality of the crime, calling it “a senseless and horrific act of violence.”
“This was a brutal and senseless attack that ended the life of Quitiza Holmes, a woman who should still be with her family and community today,” said Gulluni. “I extend my deepest condolences to her loved ones and thank the Springfield Police Department and our prosecutors for their tireless work. With today’s sentence, Kenneth Robson will spend the rest of his life in prison and will never again have the opportunity to harm another person.”
The case was investigated by the Springfield Police Department’s Homicide Unit, led by Captain Trent Duda, and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Michael Cashman and Cindy Payne, with Victim Witness Advocate Stacy Martel providing ongoing support to the victim’s family.
Domestic Violence: A Broader Epidemic
Robson’s case underscores the persistent and deadly reality of domestic violence — a crisis that continues to affect millions across the United States.
In domestic violence cases, blunt force trauma and strangulation are among the most common forms of physical assault. Research from New York domestic violence shelters found that:
92% of women surveyed had been hit in the head by their partners more than once.
83% had been struck in the head and shaken violently.
8% had been hit over 20 times in just the previous year.
40% lost consciousness at least once due to such assaults.
In a separate study, 67% of women treated for intimate partner violence–related injuries in emergency rooms showed symptoms consistent with head trauma.
While specific 2025 Massachusetts data are not yet available, national trends reveal a troubling increase. Reports show that the rate of domestic violence incidents in U.S. cities rose by 3% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Additionally, though some areas have seen slight declines in total incident numbers, the severity of assaults has grown, with more cases involving aggravated violence.
The Hampden County Sheriff’s Office reported in August 2024 that domestic violence incidents and related homicides had risen notably in the post-pandemic years leading up to 2024 — a pattern mirrored in other parts of the country.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, approximately 30.9% of women and 27.1% of men in the United States experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetimes — stark statistics that highlight the widespread and enduring nature of this crisis.
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