New York man, David Huff, 44, was sentenced to a term of 40 years to life imprisonment on Friday, May 29, for the murder of his 11-year-old son, Jeremiah Huff, and his 32-year-old girlfriend, Yeraldith Tchudy. In a disturbing moment during the hearing, the convicted father reportedly laughed as he was being sentenced for the crime, while his wife said that his son’s last chilling call continues to haunt her to date.

According to Syracuse.com, David Huff fatally shot both the victims on March 17, 2025, with a shotgun inside his stepfather’s home at 128 Roney Road around 9:30 p.m. While he reportedly tried to shoot his stepfather, the gun didn’t have enough bullets left. He did not plead guilty to the attempted murder charge related to his stepfather on May 28.

Per reports, Huff used a Remington 870 Express 12-gauge shotgun to brutally murder his son and his girlfriend. The report further suggests that following the incident, he fled his stepfather’s home but was later nabbed after a neighbor spotted him near the crime scene. On Friday, Judge Ted Limpert announced the verdict, stating that the New York man’s actions were “reprehensible” and that he deserved to be imprisoned for the rest of his life. “Even a sentence of life is not long enough for you,” he further added.

Meanwhile, Jeremiah Huff’s mother, Samantha Gallup Peltier, remembered receiving a call from her son after being shot by Huff. She told the court, “That phone call is played over and over and over and over in my head, daily,” and ended her tearful statement cursing her husband as she said that he was “destined for the seventh circle of hell.”

Seeming indifferent to his actions, Huff was reportedly observed laughing during the hearing in court. Judge Limpert pointed out his behavior and described it as that of a “petulant teenager.” When he smiled and laughed while admitting to his crime, the judge asked him, “Do you find this funny?” to which Huff gave a casual reply, insisting that there was “a joke stuck” in his head. “I’m listening,” he further added.

The New York man then apologized for laughing at his plea, and family members and supporters of the victims in the courtroom gallery shouted insults at him. A crowd member was heard yelling, “I’ll see you in hell, David.” He also told the court that he loved everyone present in the courtroom and acknowledged the seriousness of the case, stating that it was not something to be taken lightly.

Huff was initially charged with a first-degree charge, which carried the possibility of life imprisonment without parole. However, by taking a plea, he has a small chance of eventual release, which he will be eligible for when he is 80 years old. Onondaga County Chief Assistant District Attorney Robert Moran noted that, given his sentence, he would leave prison in a casket.

The convict’s guilty plea came after spending months awaiting mental health evaluations that could have been used as part of his defense. In the end, he chose to accept responsibility for the crimes and forgo a trial.