A Maryland man who was sentenced to serve nearly four decades in prison for the murder of his son's mother tried to fool police by stabbing himself in the neck and asking "Why? What did I do?"
Ruben Gilbert of Prince George's County was found guilty of second-degree murder for butchering Michelle Dudley with a knife at their apartment in Laurel in January 2023. “He truly, truly took a beautiful soul, a beautiful soul,” said her sister, Monica Dudley. Monica said the pair's 1-year-old son was in the apartment as his father stabbed his mom to death .
Michelle was able to briefly escape the apartment and seek help, according to charging documents. Neighbors said her body was pouring blood as she pleaded for assistance. Witnesses told investigators that Gilbert bizarrely stabbed himself in the neck and exclaimed "Why? What did I do?"
Monica lamented the mental trauma that will likely torment the youngster in the years to come. “It’s always going to be an unimaginable pain,” she said. “There’s going to forever be a void.”
On Monday, the killer dad was sentenced to 38 years in prison for the bloody murder and an additional three years on a weapon charge. “When you lose someone in the degree that we lost my sister, you’re always going to feel no amount of justice is going to be enough, but I do feel that every year that was handed down to Mr. Gilbert was fair,” Monica said.
Monica added that her sister issued a protective order against her former lover. “Brings me comfort knowing that now that he is incarcerated, that he doesn’t have the opportunity to ever do this to someone again,” she said. The distraught sister took the opportunity to speak out against domestic violence.
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“Hopefully, this will be an encouragement for other people that are going through this to break the silence, to speak up to get help before it’s too late,” she added.
The family created a GoFundMe for Michelle last year and was able to raise $17,845 for funeral expenses. "Our family has been faced with one of ours worst nightmares, by losing our beloved Michelle Dudley, 33 years old, she was a mother, daughter, sister, niece, and a friend. Our family is shattered by her sudden and devastating loss. She was the light to our family, always with a bright & cheerful smile, and cheerful loving personality," the family wrote.
In January 2023, family and friends held a candle lit vigil for Michelle to honor her memory. Attendees also spoke out in support of domestic violence victims who may be one argument away from sharing Michelle's fate. “Nobody wants to see their friend, their sister, their brother – anybody, a family member – in that situation,” Brigget Fuentes, the victim’s friend, said.
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