A North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for fatally stabbing his girlfriend's ex-lover outside a Long Island yacht club last year, according to prosecutors. Victor Panebianco, 32, admitted to the killing on Tuesday, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Panebianco stabbed Christopher Millwater, 52, twice in November 2025 in a parking lot near the Stony Brook Yacht Club. Millwater sustained fatal wounds to his heart and lungs. Prosecutors stated that Millwater and his ex-girlfriend, Kacy Corso, 33, had plotted to travel from their North Carolina home to Long Island to confront Millwater.
According to authorities, the couple arrived at the parking lot where Millwater was present. Panebianco then exited the vehicle and approached Millwater. When Millwater attempted to flee, Corso allegedly crashed her car into his vehicle, preventing his escape. Millwater's last words, as he was being stabbed, were reportedly, "You're stabbing me?"
Corso witnessed the attack and encouraged Panebianco, with prosecutors stating she told him, "don’t believe him, don’t let him fool you." After the stabbing, Panebianco kicked Millwater in the head before he and Corso fled the scene and returned to North Carolina, where they were arrested days later.
The Suffolk County Police Department responded to a 911 call about an unconscious man at approximately 3:40 a.m. on November 10, 2025, and discovered Millwater in the parking lot.
Millwater and Corso had a prior relationship that ended, after which Corso allegedly became hostile towards her ex-partner. Officials have stated that Corso posted social media messages directed at Millwater, warning him not to contact her and referring to him negatively.
Panebianco is scheduled for sentencing on September 22, where he faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Corso previously pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on July 22 and is expected to be sentenced to seven years in prison on September 2.
District Attorney Raymond Tierney commented that Panebianco's guilty plea holds him accountable for the killing and spares Millwater's loved ones a difficult trial. He added that the plea would help bring a measure of closure to those affected by the loss.