Sophia Bonfiglio

Sophia Maria Bonfiglio, a 26-year-old White woman lovingly known as Phia, was a fiercely protective and beautiful soul who was deeply devoted to her family. Having grown up in Hyannis, Massachusetts, she was planning to return home to Cape Cod from New Hampshire to attend nursing school. The move was set for New Year's Day, and it came just three months after the loss of her mother. Sophia had worked at a car dealership in Concord, New Hampshire, and was described by her family as someone who would rise to any challenge to protect the people she loved.

Tragically, Sophia's life was cut short on New Year's Eve 2023. On that Sunday afternoon, police in Manchester, New Hampshire, responded to a report of a shooting at an Amherst Street apartment around 2 p.m. They found Sophia inside, suffering from a gunshot wound to her torso. She was rushed to Elliot Hospital, but despite medical efforts, she was pronounced dead at about 4:30 p.m. An autopsy later confirmed that the cause of death was a single gunshot wound, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

The investigation quickly led to the arrest of Sophia’s boyfriend, 26-year-old Tyler Cook, with whom she lived and had been in a relationship for eight years. Cook was taken into custody that same day and charged with manslaughter, with prosecutors alleging he had recklessly caused Sophia’s death. He was arraigned in Hillsborough County Superior Court and held without bail. In March 2024, a grand jury indicted Cook on charges of manslaughter and reckless conduct with a deadly weapon for firing the handgun inside their apartment.

Just as the case was set to go to trial, Tyler Cook pleaded guilty to manslaughter in November 2024. Prosecutors stated that Cook had his finger on the trigger of a loaded gun when it discharged, killing Sophia. As part of the plea agreement, he was required to pay $14,905 to a victim's compensation fund or to the Bonfiglio family. In December 2024, Cook was sentenced to 16 years in prison.