Christine Ricci convicted of murdering her husband in Marshfield

PLYMOUTH – Christine Ricci will spend at least 26 years in prison following a verdict in Plymouth Superior Court Thursday afternoon after she was found guilty earlier this month of fatally stabbing her husband in the heart in their Marshfield home nearly four years ago.

Ricci, 49, was found guilty on Friday, August 2, of first-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with the death of her husband, Michael Ricci, 51, in their Marshfield home on January 28, 2021. Michael Ricci had been a Boston firefighter for 23 years at the time of his death.

Judge Diane Freniere sentenced Ricci to no less than six years and no more than six years and one day on the dangerous weapon charge, followed by life in prison for second-degree murder with the possibility of parole after 20 years.

The state recommended that Ricci be given the maximum sentence allowed by law: life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for the murder and eight to 10 years for the crime of dangerous weapon possession.

Ricci's attorney, Joshua Wood, asked for a lower sentence of 15 years' probation for the murder. He argued that the sentence would punish his client for her actions while giving her motivation to deal with her mental health and other issues in prison in the hope of being released back into society. He said she was unlikely to reoffend, given the very special nature of her relationship with her husband and the arguments that led to his death.