Left inset: Matthew Criscenzo (Sedgwick County Jail). Right inset: Naomi Oglesby (GoFundMe). Background: The 700 Block of Laura Street in Wichita, Kan., where Matthew Criscenzo allegedly shot Naomi Oglesby inside of his father's home (Google Maps).
A 20-year-old Kansas man has been found guilty of shooting his pregnant girlfriend to death because he "thought she was gonna leave" him, according to prosecutors. Friends and exes told investigators the man was "violent and controlling," with him threatening the victim repeatedly and telling her he was going to "f—ing kill her" just one week prior to the murder, court documents show.
Matthew Criscenzo, of Sedgwick County, blasted his 20-year-old girlfriend Naomi Oglesby with a Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun in May 2024 after she "grabbed" his "PS5 controller" and turned it off to tell him she was "going," according to Criscenzo's arrest affidavit. He was convicted Monday of premeditated first-degree murder, felony murder, kidnapping and aggravated battery.
"I got all of her s— ready for her," Criscenzo muttered to himself while sitting in a police interview room alone after speaking to detectives about what happened, the affidavit alleged. "And then … she walked out and all her stuff was right there, all of her clothes and everything. And I told her to stop," Criscenzo allegedly recalled. "And then, and then I pointed my gun at her and she swatted it and it went off."
Criscenzo pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the fatal shooting, which occurred at his father's home in the 700 block of South Laura Avenue. Criscenzo's dad allegedly heard the incident unfold and found Oglesby suffering from a gunshot wound to her head, prompting him to call cops.
"[The father] said he was baking a cheesecake and went to his bedroom after putting it in the oven," the affidavit said, noting how the couple "stayed the night frequently" at the dad's home.
"A few minutes after getting into his bedroom he heard a gunshot right outside his bedroom. He opened his bedroom door and saw Naomi lying on the ground," the affidavit said. "He said Matthew was standing over Naomi and Matthew had a gun in his hand. He took the gun from Matthew and heard Matthew say, 'What did I do?'"
Oglesby was 37 weeks pregnant at the time and medical staff delivered her baby via emergency C-section; the child survived but testing showed the newborn suffered severe brain trauma due to a lack of oxygen. Oglesby was pronounced dead two minutes after the baby was delivered, the affidavit says.
When officers arrived on scene, Criscenzo allegedly made several "spontaneous" statements that prompted them to take him into custody — including, "I can't believe I did this, just f—ing kill me" and "I didn't want to, I didn't mean to, I just didn't want her to go and I thought she was gonna leave me," according to the affidavit.
Criscenzo added, "She loved me and I killed her." The comments continued while Criscenzo was being transported to a local police station, his affidavit says.
"I can't believe I shot her," Criscenzo said while in a patrol car. "I can't believe I pulled the trigger. She wanted to leave, I should have let her leave."
An officer who was with Criscenzo at one point radioed in and said, "Hey Sarge, this dude is in shock. He's self-admitting that he shot her. Over and over and over," according to court documents.
While in the police interview room, Criscenzo allegedly uttered things like "This is not real" and "I forced her to go and then I changed my mind and shot her on accident and she pushed the gun away. Why did I do that though? Why did I even have my finger on the trigger? I know finger discipline," according to the affidavit.
He continued to talk out loud and allegedly said, "I really shot her. This isn't a bad dream I'm gonna wake up from." At one point, Criscenzo claimed he wanted to go home "with Naenae and I killed her."
Criscenzo's lawyer tried arguing in court filings that his statements were "a vital part of his guilt-based defense" because they showed "acceptance of responsibility" and were "contemporaneous with his willingness to cooperate with law enforcement." They told the court that while prosecutors claimed Criscenzo "not only had an intent to shoot but an intent to kill and premeditation," case law shows that even if the state is correct that he had an intent to shoot, that intent does not equate to an intent to kill or premeditation.
"Intent to shoot in a reckless manner is not intent to kill," Criscenzo's defense team said. "Intent to shoot … does not automatically mean … intended to kill. … Even an intentional blow can result in an unintentional but reckless killing."
Police investigators located a spent .40 caliber cartridge casing in the living room of Criscenzo's father's home, two "live" .40 caliber rounds, an extended firearm magazine on the couch, and three gun cases in Criscenzo's bedroom.
Criscenzo claimed he was "drunk" at the time of the incident and that he thought he only "grazed" Oglesby, the affidavit alleged. A friend of the victim's told cops that she witnessed a domestic assault unfold between the couple about a week before the shooting, during which Criscenzo was allegedly drunk and high and assaulted Oglesby.
"Matthew grabbed Naomi and bit her on the hand," the affidavit says about the alleged incident. "Then he pulled out a gun and told Naomi he was going to 'f—ing' kill her."
A GoFundMe launched for Oglesby's baby and family describes her as a "beautiful young soul who was taken too soon."
Criscenzo's sentencing date has not been listed in the court file yet. His lawyer filed a request Monday for immediate sentencing.