Daughter of Former US Intelligence Director Convicted in Fatal Stabbing
Sophia Negroponte, the 32-year-old daughter of former US intelligence director John Negroponte, has been found guilty for the second time in the fatal stabbing of her friend following a drunken argument at a Maryland property. The Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office confirmed that Negroponte was convicted of second-degree murder for the 2020 death of 24-year-old Yousuf Rasmussen.
Case History and Legal Proceedings
This marks the second conviction for Negroponte in this tragic case. She had previously been found guilty of second-degree murder in 2023 and received a 35-year prison sentence, but that conviction was overturned last year. The Maryland Appellate Court sent the case back to Montgomery County Circuit Court after ruling that the original trial had permitted jurors to hear disputed sections of Negroponte's police interrogation and testimony from a prosecution witness challenging her credibility.
The case returned to Montgomery County following the Appellate Court of Maryland's decision to overturn the initial conviction in January 2024. Three judges delivered a strongly worded opinion stating that the trial court had made errors by allowing jurors to view "contested portions of the video interrogation" and by permitting a prosecution expert to comment on Negroponte's credibility.
The Fatal Night in February 2020
According to official charging documents, emergency services arrived at a compact Airbnb property in Rockville on February 13, 2020, where they discovered Rasmussen with fatal stab wounds. One particularly severe injury was a deep cut to his neck that had severed the carotid artery. Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
Investigative reports depict an evening of escalating chaos fuelled by excessive alcohol consumption. Court documents indicated that the pair had engaged in arguments, physical wrestling, and descended into what was characterised as an "alcoholic rage" before Rasmussen suffered fatal stab wounds.
The violent death shocked their social circle, particularly as Negroponte had described Rasmussen as her closest friend during police interviews - a detail that became one of the case's most disturbing aspects.
Courtroom Drama and Family Impact
During the reading of the verdict, Sophia Negroponte remained silent but "began dabbing her eyes" as the guilty decision was announced. Her parents, John and Diana Negroponte, occupied front-row seats throughout the proceedings, while across the aisle sat the victim's parents, Zeba and Stephen Rasmussen, who displayed visible relief at the outcome.
The Rasmussen family had previously commemorated their son publicly, remembering him as "a kind and gentle soul" and expressing gratitude to supporters who had helped them through years of grief and legal proceedings.
New Evidence and Legal Arguments
The second trial introduced significant new DNA analysis presented by the defence team, representing a key departure from the first legal proceedings. Forensic experts demonstrated that the only DNA discovered on the knife sheath belonged to Rasmussen, not Negroponte. Defence attorney David Moyse contended this evidence supported their position that Rasmussen had initially unsheathed the weapon.
"There's a scuffle back and forth. There's a mutual fight," Moyse informed jurors during his closing statement. The defence team displayed photographs showing cuts on the back of Negroponte's hands to substantiate their claim that she had engaged in defensive fighting.
However, prosecutors countered this argument by suggesting the wounds resulted from the blade slipping during the stabbing motion. The prosecution's case relied heavily on eyewitness testimony from Philip Guthrie, the third individual present in the apartment that evening, who described witnessing Negroponte walk purposefully to the kitchen and retrieve the knife.
Compelling Eyewitness Testimony
Guthrie provided detailed testimony, stating: "Sophia takes several quick steps from where she's standing in the kitchen, opens a drawer, grabs a knife, pulls the sheath off the knife and then quickly moves back toward Yousuf holding the knife out in front of her toward Yousuf's neck."
Prosecutors consistently highlighted Guthrie's sobriety and professional background to reinforce his reliability as a witness. Assistant State's Attorney Robert Hill informed jurors that Guthrie's training as a football referee made him particularly observant.
"You're not supposed to miss calls… You're supposed to keep an eye on what is happening before you. I would submit to you that Philip was very sober, and especially stone-cold sober after what he saw," Hill added.
Damaging Evidence and Admissions
Jurors were also instructed to review police body-camera footage showing Negroponte crouched over Rasmussen immediately following the stabbing, applying pressure to his neck wound with a towel in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. "Yousuf, breathe!" she exclaimed in the footage. "I'm so sorry."
Prosecutor Donna Fenton argued that this recorded apology held significant weight in assessing intent. Fenton also directed jurors to re-examine interrogation footage containing several damaging admissions Negroponte made about her behaviour that evening.
"Honestly I think that I was trying to shut him up and I just did something horribly wrong," Negroponte stated during the videotaped interview. She also told detectives, "I have anger management problems," though she never explicitly confessed to stabbing Rasmussen.
Background and Sentencing
Sophia Negroponte was among five abandoned or orphaned Honduran children adopted by John Negroponte and his wife after his appointment as US ambassador to the Central American nation during the 1980s. Former President George W. Bush appointed John Negroponte as the nation's inaugural intelligence director in 2005. He subsequently served as deputy secretary of state and held ambassador positions in Mexico, the Philippines, the United Nations and Iraq.
Sophia Negroponte now confronts the possibility of up to 35 years imprisonment following her second conviction, with sentencing scheduled for February 19.
