By Joe Kellard
In front of a packed courtroom that included members of his family as well as his late wife's, Malone, 36, was asked by Nassau County Judge William Donnino if he had killed his wife.
Malone replied, "I stabbed her, your honor."
The judge asked, "How many times?"
Malone said, "More than once."
Donnino asked, "Did you stab her multiple times?"
Malone replied, "Yes, sir."
Donnino accepted Malone's plea, and set a sentencing date of Sept. 30. Malone faces 17 years to life in prison. By pleading guilty, he relinquishes the right to an appeal.
Assistant District Attorney Frank Schroeder told the court that he had talked with Diane Malone's family, and said they were at peace with the sentence.
Malone's lawyer, Theodore Robinson, said, "He's always admitted what he'd done, and he felt that [his guilty plea] was his best approach to bring closure to this matter."
After Malone stabbed his wife early in the morning of Sept. 13, he fled their house on foot, hiding out for three days in an empty Wisconsin Street home two blocks from the murder scene. He was arrested on Beech Street Sept. 16, wearing a floppy hat pulled down over his eyes and carrying a fishing pole.
Lt. Dennis Farrell of the Nassau County Homicide Squad said that Malone's past was dotted with arrests for violent behavior. "From 1985 to 1990, there were a number of arrests ranging from criminal contempt to assault," Farrell said. "In 1990, he was arrested for assaulting a Long Beach police officer, and in 2001 he was arrested for assaulting a co-worker."
The Malones, whose children are now 7, 4 and 2, were known throughout their neighborhood to have frequent, often loud, arguments, according to one neighbor who declined to be identified. "[David] was a regular guy, and a nice guy," the neighbor told the Herald in September. "But when it came to her, he was totally different. He would get very jealous.
"To see them walking around the neighborhood with the kids, you'd never think anything, but they used to fight all the time," the neighbor continued. "I think that he might have been hitting her. But I never thought he'd have this in him."
Diane Malone had obtained a restraining order against her estranged husband in July 2004, and it was set to expire in January. Despite the order, the couple had worked out a visitation schedule.
The children are currently in the custody of their maternal grandmother, Diane Gabrinowitz.
Doug Miller and Chris Munzing contributed to this story. Comments about it? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
