NY Man Found Guilty in Twisted Murder of his Wife

A New York man is facing 25 years in prison after we was found guilty of murder in his wife's 2022 death.

The family of Stephanie Valk is finally seeing some justice after the 47-year-old mother of six was killed in August of 2022.

Delaware County District Attorney Shawn J. Smith announced this week, that Justin T. Valk, 49, of Davenport, New York was found guilty of Second-degree Murder and several other felony charges on January 23, 2026, after a trial by a jury which lasted three weeks.

The jury found, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Valk recklessly caused the death of his wife, Stephanie, "under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to the value of human life."

Stephanie Valk's Traumatic Last Hours

According to initial reporting, on August 1, 2022, New York State Police responded to a Pine Cliff residence in Davenport for a medical event involving Stephanie J. Valk. She was transported to a hospital for further medical care and pronounced deceased on Aug. 3.

During the trial the jury heard testimony that in August of 2022, Valk injected his wife "with multiple doses of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl over a 24-hour period," while the couple were alone in their Davenport home.
Evidence reportedly showed that she became severely sick because of these drug injections- "to the point where she was unable to speak or even stand on her own."

The jury saw several videos, recorded by Justin Valk himself, which documented Stephanie's 20 plus hour struggle to breathe and "attempt to stay alive while she was on the floor going through severe seizures and convulsions."

"In the videos, Valk can be seen and heard mocking and belittling Stephanie's physical peril and refusing her labored cries for help," according to the District Attorney.

Evidence also reportedly showed that Valk initially turned away first responders when an NYSP Investigator arrived at the home on an unrelated matter. He reportedly told the Investigator that his wife was "fine" and sleeping in a bedroom before showing him to the door.

According to reports, Justin Valk was seeking a divorce was having an affair with another woman, one of his wife's friends, prior to the murder of Stephanie.

Valk was also found guilty of first-degree Assault, first-degree Reckless Endangerment, two counts of third-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell (fentanyl & heroin), and one count of fifth-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell, (methamphetamine). The drug charges stem from narcotics that the State Police reportedly found while executing a search warrant at the murder scene.

Valk with be sentenced on March 25, 2026, when he will face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. The B Felony drug convictions carry the potential of a consecutive state prison sentence of up to 9 years.

District Attorney Shawn Smith commended the work of the New York State Police, "for their excellent investigation into this extremely egregious case."

"This is a truly despicable case. Not only did the defendant cause the death of his wife, but he also took pleasure in her pain while he video recorded her suffering for approximately 20 hours before she became non-responsive," Smith stated. "There is no way that I can bring Stephanie back, but I hope that this conviction and the accompanying mandatory life sentence will bring some sense of justice and closure to Stephanie's family and loved ones. I appreciate the time and attention that each of the jurors gave to this case. My office will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that every criminal defendant is held accountable for their criminal actions."

Smith also thanked the staff at Safe Against Violence for the support they provided to the victim's family throughout this process.