Man sentenced to 40 years to life for killing mother after argument over video game volume

MANCHESTER, NH — A New Hampshire man has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for fatally stabbing his mother after the two argued over the amount of video games he played.

Thomas Humphrey, 47, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to manslaughter and arson in the November death of 70-year-old Linda Tufts at their Goffstown home.

“The brutality of this crime simply makes it too dangerous not to impose a very long state prison sentence,” Judge William Delker said.

A prosecutor said Humphrey, who lived in the basement, stabbed Tufts multiple times and then set her body on fire. The prosecutor said the two had recently had an argument about how loudly he was playing video games on the PlayStation she had just given him for his birthday. WMUR-TV reports this.

Police said they found Humphrey at the bottom of the basement stairs with self-inflicted wounds while holding a knife.

The Associated Press sent an email to Humphrey’s attorney Wednesday seeking comment on his behalf. Humphrey had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.