Sophia Negroponte Sentenced to 35 Years in Friend’s Murder, Retrial Concludes

Rockville, MD – Sophia Negroponte, the daughter of former U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Friday, March 6, 2026, for the second-degree murder of Yousuf Rasmussen. The sentencing follows a retrial after her initial 2023 conviction was overturned by a Maryland appeals court.

Details of the Case

The crime occurred in February 2020, at an Airbnb in Maryland, where Negroponte, 33, and Rasmussen, 24, were with another individual. An argument ensued after the group had been drinking, leading to Rasmussen being fatally stabbed in the neck according to the Associated Press.

First Conviction and Appeal

Negroponte was initially convicted of second-degree murder in 2023 and sentenced to 35 years. However, in January 2024, the Maryland appeals court overturned the conviction, citing errors in the initial trial. The court found that jurors had improperly heard contested portions of a police interrogation and testimony questioning Negroponte’s credibility as reported by Law & Crime.

Retrial and Sentencing

A second trial was held, and in November 2025, a jury again found Negroponte guilty of second-degree murder. Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Terrence McGann then imposed the same 35-year sentence on Friday as reported by the Modern York Post. Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy stated that the consistent verdicts from two separate juries demonstrate a just outcome given the seriousness of the crime.

Background on Sophia Negroponte

Sophia Negroponte is one of five Honduran children adopted by John Negroponte and his wife, Diana, after Negroponte served as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras in the 1980s according to the Associated Press. John Negroponte later served as the first U.S. Director of National Intelligence under President George W. Bush.