Boonsboro man sentenced to life in prison for murder of ex-girlfriend

A Boonsboro man who pleaded guilty last month to the murder of his ex-girlfriend in February was sentenced Friday in Washington County Circuit Court to serve life in prison.

Thomas N. Hungerford Jr., 41, pleaded guilty on Dec. 3 to one count of first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of 42-year-old Tylena Ann Sigler.

The incident occurred Feb. 6 inside Sigler's home at 203 St. Paul St. in Boonsboro.

"He invaded our home, took my mother and my grandmother's daughter," Sigler's son, Anthony "Andy" Sigler, said as he read from a prepared statement to Judge M. Kenneth Long Jr. "He was fully aware of what he had done. I truly believe the only comfort that I will ever get, if any at all, is to see this man dead. That being said, he deserves the maximum sentence possible."

Hungerford appeared in court wearing a striped, bluish-gray shirt and gray dress pants without a belt. He remained stoic throughout the hearing.

"I would just like to say that I'm here to accept responsibility," Hungerford said.

Before he passed sentence, Long said that the families on both sides of the case "will continue to live with the horror that was inflicted by Thomas Hungerford."

Authorities said Hungerford entered Sigler's home and stabbed her 11 times.

Hungerford also was charged in connection with stabbing 53-year-old Hagerstown resident Gerald Hurd, who was at Sigler's house on the night she was murdered.

Hurd survived his wounds after spending several weeks at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

Authorities said shortly after the murder that Hurd called 911 on the night of Feb. 6 to report his tires had been slashed while his vehicle was parked at Sigler's home on St. Paul Street.

Six minutes later, another male called the 911 center from that same address to report that his mother, Tylena Sigler, had been stabbed.

The 911 center dispatched Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies, who entered the home through a basement door and found Hurd lying on the floor at the bottom of the steps.

Hurd had several cuts on the left side of his abdomen, deputies said. He identified Hungerford as his attacker and gave authorities a description.

Tylena Sigler was found lying on the floor in the living-room area of the residence with her son leaning over her.

She was taken to Meritus Medical Center east of Hagerstown, where she was pronounced dead.

Police said at the time that they picked up Hungerford on the night of the murder as he was walking in the area of Young Avenue in Boonsboro.

Hungerford had blood on his hands and pants. Officers said Hungerford asked: "Is she all right?"

In addition to first-degree murder, Hungerford initially was charged with second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and eight other counts.

Those charges were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea to one count of first-degree murder.

Long recommended that Hungerford serve his sentence at the Patuxent Institution, a correctional mental health center in Jessup, Md.