WOBURN, Mass. — A Massachusetts mother delivered a powerful and emotional message in court to the man convicted of brutally killing her daughter, Sherell Pringle.
Bruce Maiben, Pringle’s ex-boyfriend, was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the first-degree murder of the 40-year-old Woburn woman.
Pringle vanished just days before Christmas on Dec. 19, 2021. Her body was discovered in a marsh off Route 107 in Saugus, bearing 217 stab wounds.
During sentencing, Pringle’s mother, Pearl Garner, addressed Maiben directly, saying, “You don’t deserve to be walking here. You will get what you deserve because God don’t like ugly.”
“I sit on my porch at night alone and just cry,” Garner said through tears. “When Sherell was murdered, a piece of me died with her.”
Garner described the crime as “vicious,” revealing that her daughter was so badly mutilated they had to hold a closed-casket funeral.
Garner’s final message to her daughter’s killer, “You’re just scum...I hope you rot in hell for what you did.”
Pringle’s brother also spoke, sharing the emotional toll the tragedy has taken on their family.
“A man never wants to show weakness, but I’ve washed cities away behind closed doors with my tears,” he said.
Pringle had recently put an offer on her dream home, which was accepted after her death. Her family says she loved to travel and hike, and was looking forward to a new chapter in life.
Maiben, who was arrested four days after the murder, appeared in court wearing a light blue button-up shirt.
He remained silent as the victim’s family delivered their statements.
Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker said the verdict and sentence will ensure that Maiben will be held accountable for his “senseless and atrocious conduct.”
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
