Christopher Joseph’s sentencing followed a 2025 attack, months of pretrial uncertainty and a September guilty plea to attempted murder.
NEW YORK — A Bronx attempted-murder case marked by a defendant’s pretrial release, repeated court appearances and delays ended Wednesday with an 8½-year prison sentence for a man who admitted attacking a woman inside her apartment in March 2025.
Bronx Supreme Court Justice Timothy Lewis sentenced Christopher Joseph, 23, to 8½ years in prison and five years of post-release supervision. Joseph pleaded guilty Sept. 16 to second-degree attempted murder in the attack on Kaitlynn Berman. The court also issued an order of protection prohibiting Joseph from contacting her.
The sentencing brought an end to a case that had become a source of frustration for Berman well before Joseph entered his plea. After being jailed following his arrest, Joseph was released on his own recognizance in December 2025 after the Bronx District Attorney’s Office missed a deadline related to bail. Prosecutors had sought $1 million cash bail, according to News 12.
Berman publicly objected to Joseph remaining free while the case was pending, saying she feared for her safety and had changed her daily routines. Joseph returned to court several times during 2026 as the case moved toward trial. In April, a judge extended an order of protection and scheduled proceedings for June.
That trial did not begin as initially planned. The case experienced additional delays, including disruption linked to a defense attorneys’ strike, according to prior court coverage. By September, attorneys were considering a negotiated resolution. Joseph ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder on Sept. 16 and admitted during the proceeding that he had tried to kill Berman.
The underlying attack occurred March 22, 2025, inside Berman’s apartment on East 225th Street. Prosecutors said Joseph attacked her without warning while her daughter was in the next room. The Bronx District Attorney’s Office said Berman suffered approximately 20 stab wounds and was hospitalized for 48 days. Berman has described being stabbed 22 times.
Authorities said police apprehended Joseph shortly after the attack at a nearby subway station. Earlier reporting also said investigators accused him of taking Berman’s cellphone and more than $5,700 in cash. He initially faced a group of charges that included attempted murder, attempted assault and weapons offenses before the case was resolved through the guilty plea.
The lengthy path to sentencing kept attention on the case as Berman spoke publicly about both her injuries and the court process. She said she was left with permanent nerve damage and continuing pain. She also criticized proposed prison terms before the plea was finalized, saying she believed the punishment should more closely reflect the severity of what happened to her.
On Wednesday, the court imposed the 8½-year term contemplated by the plea resolution. Berman and advocates supporting her said afterward that the sentence was too short. Joseph did not address the court at sentencing, according to NBC New York.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said Berman survived an attack by a man she knew and had invited into her home. Clark said she hoped the sentence would help Berman heal. With Joseph now sentenced, the criminal prosecution has moved from a prolonged pretrial period into the incarceration and post-release supervision ordered by the court.
Author note: Last updated November 5, 2026.