Judge Sentences Abdul Mboob to 34 Years in Prison for 2023 Murder of Anastasia Paul

(Rockville, CT)  - Craig P. Nowak, State’s Attorney for the Tolland Judicial District, today announced that Abdul Mboob, age 26, of Manchester, was sentenced on July 28, 2026 by the Honorable Alyce L. Alfano to serve 34 years in prison for the 2023 murder of Anastasia Paul.

On May 1, 2026, the defendant pleaded guilty in Superior Court to Murder, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-54a and Risk of Injury to a Minor, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53-2. The prison sentence was negotiated with and suggested by the Court after the defendant had initially rejected a plea offer from the state which would have allowed the defendant to argue for a sentence of between 35 to 45 years of incarceration, and the defense had countered with a sentence of 28 years in prison.

On July 17, 2023, Vernon police conducted a welfare check at the victim’s apartment and found her deceased. The check was requested by the defendant’s brother, who became concerned after the defendant began acting erratically and abruptly dropped off the couple’s child without explanation. During questioning, the defendant admitted to strangling the victim, who was pregnant at the time. He also told police he had recently been released from prison and had stopped taking his psychiatric medications a month earlier due to side effects. The couple’s one‑year‑old child was in the home during the murder.

The victim had previously filed two restraining orders against Mboob, including one in May 2023 and one in April 2023. Both orders were dismissed when the victim did not appear for scheduled court dates. The defendant had a history of domestic violence involving the victim. He had previously been charged with violating a protective order she had against him and had multiple prior convictions for abusing her, for which he had already served time in prison.

Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Emily Trudeau prosecuted the case with the assistance of Inspector Phillip Clark and the Vernon Police Department.