Attempted murder trial delayed for Bronx man accused of stabbing former friend 22 times
Christopher Joseph appeared in Bronx Criminal Court Wednesday, where his trial was expected to begin. Instead, the case was postponed after his defense attorney failed to appear because of an ongoing strike.
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The attempted murder trial for a Bronx man accused of stabbing a mother 22 times has been delayed once again.
Christopher Joseph appeared in Bronx Criminal Court Wednesday, where his trial was expected to begin. Instead, the case was postponed after his defense attorney failed to appear because of an ongoing strike.
Joseph is charged with attempted murder, attempted assault, criminal possession of a weapon and other offenses in connection with the March 2025 attack on Kaitlynn Berman. Prosecutors say Berman was stabbed 22 times inside her home while her young daughter was in another room.
Berman survived the attack but says she continues to live with permanent nerve damage, PTSD and fear.
"I think everybody worries because nobody knows where he actually is," Berman said. "Nobody knows where he travels to. So I think they all worry, too. My daughter, she still suffers in her own ways."
Family members became emotional outside the courtroom as they described the lasting impact of the attack.
"To see her in pain and screaming… when I was in the ER, she was like, 'Megan, don't go,'" said her aunt, Megan Varon. "I said, 'I'm not going anywhere.'"
Her uncle, Lawrence Berman, recalled the first words she said after the attack.
"The very first thing she said when I walked into the trauma ER was, 'Uncle Larry, why am I still alive?' Because she thought she was a goner… I said, 'Because God needs you to take care of your daughter. God needs you to be a mommy.'"
During Wednesday's appearance, an attorney standing in for Joseph said there is a plea offer of 10 years in prison followed by five years of parole. Berman says she opposes the deal and believes the sentence should reflect the severity of the attack. She's asking for one year for each of the 22 stab wounds.
Joseph is due back in Bronx Criminal Court on Sept. 16.
