Man inflicted 100 bruises, 5 rib fractures when he killed pregnant girlfriend and their unborn child, then claimed she was responsible for her death

Inset: Christine Falzone, Background: William Kelly at his sentencing for murdering Falzone and their unborn child (WMUR).

A 40-year-old New Hampshire man will spend decades behind bars after he murdered his girlfriend and their unborn daughter and then blamed it on a fall despite the 100 bruises he inflicted on her body.

William Kelly was sentenced to 80 years in prison after a jury convicted him of two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of 33-year-old Christine Falzone and their baby girl, who was to be named Jules.

The incident occurred on Dec. 17, 2023, at a home in Ossipee, which sits on the eastern edge of the Granite State. According to a courtroom report from ABC affiliate WMUR, Kelly beat Falzone to death. She had 100 bruises on her body and five rib fractures, along with bleeding on her brain and abdomen.

Defense lawyers asked that he serve 40 years. But Judge Mark D. Attorri said Kelly deserved no leniency.

"The mercy the defense is asking for here is going to have to come from an authority infinitely greater than this court," he said.

The New Hampshire Union Leader, citing a probable cause statement, reported Kelly told the first cops on the scene that Falzone was responsible for her own death, saying she fell.

Kelly was first found guilty in November, but Attorri threw out the conviction over concerns that the defendant's right to remain silent was violated at the scene. The second conviction in July held up.

The case was the first conviction in the state under a new law that allows a murder charge for the death of a fetus.

"Little did she know then that her life would be cut short, her dreams would fall to the floor as she did and that she and her baby are going to be the storms that clear the path in the state of New Hampshire for every victim's case coming forward," said Tiffany Marcos, Falzone's aunt.

Attorri said, despite the harsh prison sentence, Kelly is still better off than the woman whom he ruthlessly pummeled.

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"You will still be able to wake up every morning," the judge said. "You will be able to breathe the air and you will at least at times be able to see the sunlight which Christine Falzone and her child and Mr. Kelly's child will never have the opportunity to do again."

Added New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella:

"Our thoughts remain with Christine Falzone's loved ones, who have endured an unimaginable loss. We are grateful for our dedicated trial team, the diligent investigators who worked this case, as well as for the careful work of the jury throughout this trial. Domestic violence can have devastating and irreversible consequences, and we hope this verdict provides a measure of justice for Christine and her unborn child."