Bladensburg, Maryland – A 53-year-old Maryland man who brutally stabbed his elderly mother dozens of times following an argument over her vehicle has been sentenced to spend the equivalent of her lifetime behind bars.
Reginald English was sentenced Friday to life in prison with all but 72 years suspended, a punishment prosecutors requested to reflect the 72 years his mother, Lorena Royster, lived before her death. English was convicted of murder earlier this year after a jury found him responsible for killing Royster inside her Bladensburg apartment.
Deadly argument over a car
According to prosecutors, the violence stemmed from a heated dispute between English and his mother over her Toyota Camry, which English wanted to use. Court records show the disagreement escalated into a fatal attack inside Royster’s home.
Police were called to the apartment for a welfare check around 11 p.m. on April 3, 2024. Officers found Royster unresponsive with a stab wound to her neck and pronounced her dead at the scene. Investigators later determined she had been stabbed 47 times. Police also noted that one handcuff was still attached to her wrist, a detail prosecutors said underscored the brutality of the crime.
Bizarre events before the discovery
Roughly 12 hours before Royster’s body was discovered, English was encountered by police after jumping into Cox Creek, located about 40 miles east of his mother’s apartment. An officer reported finding English in the water wearing a woman’s engagement ring.
English told police he was praying. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and later released. Days after the welfare check at Royster’s home, authorities charged English with murder.
Trial and conviction
English’s trial began in July 2024. During court proceedings, prosecutors argued that the killing was motivated by control and entitlement, telling jurors that English “killed his mother over the use of a Toyota Camry.”
While awaiting trial in jail, English allegedly continued to fixate on the vehicle, arguing with his sister about the car’s title, according to courtroom testimony.
On August 7, the jury found English guilty of murder, clearing the way for sentencing.
Sentencing meant to honor the victim
At Friday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors asked the judge to impose a sentence tied directly to Royster’s age. The court ultimately sentenced English to life in prison, suspending all but 72 years.
Family members addressed the court following the sentence. Royster’s stepdaughter, Audrey Lawrence, said the number was meant to serve as a permanent reminder of the life taken.
“For me, 72 years is going to forever be etched in his brain,” Lawrence said. “I don’t care where he goes until the day he leaves this earth, and even when he’s in the ground, he’s probably going to remember 72.”
Ongoing legal fight
Despite the verdict and sentence, court records indicate that English has appealed his conviction, meaning the case may continue through Maryland’s appellate courts.
A case that shook the community
The killing of Lorena Royster has deeply impacted the Bladensburg community and her family, highlighting how disputes within families can escalate into irreversible tragedy. Prosecutors emphasized that the sentence was not only punitive but symbolic, ensuring that the length of English’s incarceration mirrors the years his mother lived.
Authorities have not indicated whether additional hearings related to the appeal have been scheduled.
As the case moves forward in the appeals process, Royster’s family says the sentence offers some measure of justice, even as they continue to mourn a life lost in a moment of devastating violence.
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