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Husband and Wife Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2020 Murder of Wife's Ex-Husband

Jamie and Nicholas Orsini were each sentenced to life in prison for the 2020 murder of Steven Kraft, according to federal prosecutors.

4 reports on this incident · first at Aug 15, 2026, 12:28 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 26, 2026, 3:44 p.m. ETUpdated Aug 30, 2026, 4:38 p.m. ET
Jamie Orsini, 38, and Nicholas Orsini, 36, both of Amsterdam, New York, were each to life in prison for one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. The release, dated August 14, 2026, states the sentences were imposed on August 11 and August 13, 2026, respectively, by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern, following a two-week trial in 2024. CBS6 Albany reported the life sentences on August 17, 2026. According to the indictment, public court filings, and evidence presented at trial as described in the release, the couple plotted and carried out the 2020 murder of Jamie Orsini's ex-husband, Steven Kraft, the father of two of her children. Prosecutors say the plot included dry runs and the purchase of a tarp and burner phones, that the couple moved Kraft's car to Newburgh to make it appear he left their Beacon home alive and was killed elsewhere, and that his body was destroyed and has never been found. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said in the release that the sentences bring the Kraft family "a measure of finality" and hold the defendants accountable. FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. called the killing "a tragic and senseless crime," and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said the sentencings "send a strong message that prison is the only future for those who take the lives of others." The office said anyone with information about the location of Steven Kraft's body can report it at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/report-crime.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 17, 2026, 10:20 p.m. ET

    Amsterdam Couple Sentenced to Life in Prison in 2020 Killing of Woman's Ex-Husband

    Jamie Orsini, 38, and Nicholas Orsini, 36, both of Amsterdam, New York, were each sentenced to life in prison for one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking in connection with the murder of Jamie Orsini's ex-husband, Steven Kraft, according to the official record of the case: the announcement of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Release No. 26-239, dated August 14, 2026.

    That record states that the sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern on August 11 and August 13, 2026 — Jamie Orsini first, Nicholas Orsini second — following a two-week trial in 2024 before Judge Halpern. The federal criminal case was brought in district court by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, and was handled by the Office's White Plains Division. CBS 6 Albany reported the life sentences on August 17, 2026.

    The announcement was made by United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jamie McDonald, FBI New York Field Office Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr., and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James.

    What prosecutors say happened

    According to the indictment, public court filings, and evidence presented at trial, as set out in the August 14, 2026 record: in 2020 the Orsinis plotted and executed the murder of Kraft, the father of two of Jamie Orsini's children, along with what prosecutors called a sophisticated cover-up.

    Before the killing, the record states, the couple bought items including a 1,000-square-foot tarp and a full-body coverall, repeatedly practiced "dry runs" for how they would move Kraft's car, and purchased a "burner phone" that law enforcement could not trace to them.

    On April 28, 2020, Kraft dropped his children off at the Orsinis' home in Beacon, New York. The record states the couple killed him in the home and took his car and one of his cellphones. To make it appear that Kraft had left Beacon alive and was killed elsewhere, Nicholas Orsini drove Kraft's car into Newburgh, New York, left it in a high-crime neighborhood, disposed of Kraft's cellphone, and used the burner phone to call a taxi back to Beacon, discarding the burner phone before getting in. Meanwhile, Jamie Orsini sent text messages to and from Nicholas Orsini's phone, which he had left at home, to suggest he never went out that night.

    Afterward, prosecutors say, the couple destroyed the evidence of their crimes — including Kraft's body — buying a new burner phone for repeated drives to and from upstate New York and building large homemade incinerators. Jamie Orsini sent messages designed to look as though she believed Kraft was still alive and, when speaking with police, professed ignorance while hinting that something might have happened to Kraft in Newburgh. Kraft's body has never been found.

    Officials' statements

    "Justice has now been served in this tragic case," U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said in the announcement. "While no sentence can undo the loss of a life or erase the suffering endured by Kraft's family, these sentences bring the Kraft family a measure of finality and hold Jamie and Nicholas Orsini accountable for their horrific crimes."

    Barnacle credited the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, saying its "local and state law enforcement partners play an essential role in bringing violent offenders to justice." James said: "This week's sentencings send a strong message that prison is the only future for those who take the lives of others."

    The sentences

    According to the record, both defendants were sentenced to life in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on count one, carjacking resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119(3), to run concurrently with five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release on count two, conspiracy to commit carjacking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.

    McDonald praised the work of the FBI and the New York State Police and thanked the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office, the Ulster County District Attorney's Office, the City of Beacon Police Department, the Town of Marlborough Police Department, and the City of Newburgh Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo, Michael D. Maimin, and Kathryn P. Wheelock are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Shannon Becker.

    The announcement asks anyone with information about the location of Steven Kraft's body to report it at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/report-crime.

  2. Aug 17, 2026, 10:15 p.m. ET

    Husband and Wife Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2020 Carjacking and Murder

    Jamie Orsini, 38, and Nicholas Orsini, 36, both of Amsterdam, New York, were each sentenced to life in prison by U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern on August 11 and August 13, 2026, respectively, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which set out the sentencings in its case record, Release No. 26-239, dated August 14, 2026.

    The couple was sentenced for one count of carjacking resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. \ conspiracy to commit carjacking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, following their conviction in 2024 after a two-week trial before Judge Halpern, the same record states. CBS 6 Albany reported the sentences on August 17, 2026.

    According to the indictment, public court filings, and evidence presented at trial as described in the August 14, 2026 record, Jamie and Nicholas Orsini plotted and executed the 2020 murder of Steven Kraft, Jamie Orsini's ex-husband and the father of two of her children, at their home in Beacon, New York. Prosecutors say the couple prepared for the killing by repeatedly practicing "dry runs" and by buying a 1,000-square-foot tarp, a full-body coverall, and a burner phone that could not be traced to them.

    On April 28, 2020, Kraft dropped his children off at the Orsinis' Beacon home, where the couple killed him and took his car and one of his cellphones, according to the record. To make it appear that Kraft had left the house alive and was killed elsewhere, Nicholas Orsini drove Kraft's car into Newburgh, New York, left it in a high-crime neighborhood, disposed of Kraft's cellphone, and used the burner phone to call a taxi back to Beacon, while Jamie Orsini exchanged text messages with Nicholas Orsini's phone, which he had left at home, to suggest he never went out that night.

    Kraft's body was destroyed — in part using large homemade incinerators — and has never been found, the record states. Prosecutors said Jamie Orsini later sent messages designed to look as though she believed Kraft was still alive and told police she did not know what had become of him, while hinting that something might have happened to him in Newburgh.

    "Justice has now been served in this tragic case," U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said in the August 14, 2026 announcement. "While no sentence can undo the loss of a life or erase the suffering endured by Kraft's family, these sentences bring the Kraft family a measure of finality and hold Jamie and Nicholas Orsini accountable for their horrific crimes."

    New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said in the same record: "This week's sentencings send a strong message that prison is the only future for those who take the lives of others." FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. credited the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force with the investigation.

    Both defendants received life in prison followed by five years of supervised release on count one, to run concurrently with five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release on count two, according to the record. The case is being handled by the office's White Plains Division, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo, Michael D. Maimin, and Kathryn P. Wheelock in charge of the prosecution.

    The U.S. Attorney's Office asked anyone with information about the location of Steven Kraft's body to report it at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/report-crime.

  3. Aug 15, 2026, 12:28 p.m. ETFirst report

    Husband and Wife Sentenced to Life in Prison in 2020 Murder of Woman's Ex-Husband

    Jamie Orsini, 38, and Nicholas Orsini, 36, both of Amsterdam, New York, were each sentenced to life in prison for the 2020 murder of Jamie Orsini's ex-husband, Steven Kraft, according to an announcement made on August 14, 2026 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, in press release No. 26-239.

    The release states that U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern imposed the sentences on August 11 and August 13, 2026, respectively, following a two-week trial in 2024 at which both defendants were convicted of one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald, FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr., of the New York Field Office, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James.

    According to the indictment, public court filings and evidence presented at trial, as described in the release, the Orsinis plotted and executed Kraft's murder on April 28, 2020, after Kraft dropped his children off at the couple's home in Beacon, New York. The pair killed Kraft in the home and took his car and one of his cellphones. To make it appear that Kraft had left Beacon alive, Nicholas Orsini drove Kraft's car into Newburgh, New York, left it in a high-crime neighborhood, disposed of Kraft's cellphone and used a burner phone to call a taxi back to Beacon, discarding the burner phone before getting in. Jamie Orsini sent text messages to and from Nicholas Orsini's phone, which he had left at home, to suggest he never left the house that night.

    Before the killing, the release states, the couple bought a 1,000-square-foot tarp and a full-body coverall, repeatedly practiced "dry runs" for moving Kraft's car, and purchased a burner phone to avoid being traced. Afterward, they destroyed evidence of the crime — including Kraft's body — buying a second burner phone for repeated drives to and from upstate New York and building large homemade incinerators.

    "Justice has now been served in this tragic case," McDonald said in the release. "Kraft's body has never been found, and for years, his family has been forced to live with the unimaginable pain and uncertainty of not knowing what happened to their loved one." The office asked anyone with information about the location of Kraft's body to report it through the Justice Department's tip page.

    Both defendants were sentenced to life in prison followed by five years of supervised release on count one, carjacking resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119(3), to run concurrently with five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release on count two, conspiracy to commit carjacking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. The case is being handled by the office's White Plains Division, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo, Michael D. Maimin and Kathryn P. Wheelock in charge of the prosecution.

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Revision history

  1. Version 230 Aug 2026, 20:38current

    Updated to reflect the official press release as the primary source and added the release number and date.

  2. Version 118 Aug 2026, 02:15current

    First published.

  3. Version 115 Aug 2026, 16:28current

    First published.

  4. Version 118 Aug 2026, 02:20current

    First published.

  5. Version 118 Aug 2026, 02:11

    First published.

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