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Long Islanders are flooding a GoFundMe campaign with support for the two young girls who police say survived a horrific knife attack upstate that left their pregnant mother dead and their father in jail accused of murder.
Samantha Garnier, 29, a Centereach High School graduate, was five months pregnant when she was allegedly stabbed and killed by her husband, Drew Garnier, 32, also formerly of Long Island, in their Masonville home on Wednesday, New York State Police said. The couple’s two daughters, Izzie, 6, and Adelina, 9, were also stabbed by their father but are expected to make full recoveries from their injuries, authorities said.
“Sammi was a beautiful, compassionate, and loving mother who always wanted the best for her babies,” read a statement from the family’s friends on the GoFundMe page, which has raised $16,000. “She was due to have a baby girl in February of 2025 and would be celebrating her 30th Birthday in 2 weeks.”
Police said officers responded to the Garnier home about 11:29 p.m. on Wednesday for a reported domestic dispute. Drew Garnier was arrested at the scene and charged with second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, police said.
Both children are being treated at Upstate Medical Center. Their mother Samantha, whose maiden name is Vernagallo, was airlifted to Wilson Medical Center, where she later died from her injuries.
The GoFundMe page, organized by Erin Leahy of Centereach, aims to support the two surviving girls.
Drew Garnier was arraigned in Delhi Town Court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail without bail.
About Masonville, New York
Masonville is a small town in Delaware County, New York, about 150 miles northwest of New York City. The town has a population of just over 1,200 residents and is known for its rural, picturesque landscapes. Masonville is about a four-hour drive from Samantha Garnier’s hometown of Centereach.
Top photo: GoFundMe