Montco Man Who Stabbed Dad To Death With Butter Knife Sentenced

LANSDALE, PA -- The Lansdale man who stabbed his father to death with a butter knife during a drug-fueled rampage last year has been sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison, according to court documents.

Preston Lonnberg-Lane, 30, pleaded guilty to charges of third degree murder in the death of his adoptive father, 72-year-old Thomas Lane. He had originally faced charges of first degree murder.

The incident occurred on March 27, 2018 in the early morning hours at a home on the 1100 block of Delaware Avenue.

Lonnberg-Lane later claimed that he had snorted two whole bags of fentanyl at 3:30 a.m. and attempted to fall asleep. He said he was listening to music when he got up, grabbed a butter knife from the kitchen, and went into his father's bedroom, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Lonnberg-Lane found his father sleeping, and immediately stabbed him in the neck, punched him, put him in a choke hold, and pulled out his eyeball, the affidavit of probable cause states. He said he stopped the attack when he heard his father saying, "Preston, Preston, what are you doing?"

Apparently confused, Lonnberg-Lane called 911 shortly thereafter, at around 4:44 a.m., and said he "needed help." He struggled to explain to the operator what had happened in the incident, saying "I don't know what to do right now...I don't know what's going on" and "I need help...there's something wrong."

Police arrived and Lane was rushed to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he was treated but ultimately passed away at around 2:59 a.m. on March 29. His cause of death was stated as hyperextensive brain hemorrage.

Image via Montgomery County District Attorney's Office