The Bronx, N.Y., man accused of stabbing to death a pregnant mother of three during a domestic dispute in East Lyme rejected a plea offer and 40-year prison sentence on Wednesday.

Avery Hallbrooks, 31, is accused of stabbing to death 25-year-old Corina Zukowski on Dec. 11, 2018, at the now-closed Starlight Inn, 256 Flanders Road in the Niantic section of East Lyme. Town police said Hallbrooks initially called 911 to report a former boyfriend of Zukowski had committed the crime but later confessed to the killing.

Hallbrooks stood with his court-appointed attorney, John Franckling of Glastonbury, before New London Superior Court Judge Hillary Strackbein on Thursday to answer questions about his decision to turn down the state’s offer. It is the second time Hallbrooks has refused to accept a plea deal from state prosecutors. He had rejected an offer in 2020 to plead guilty to murder and serve up to 48 years in prison.

The case now is being scheduled for a trial and Strackbein told Hallbrooks that the state was prepared to add an additional charge for the death of Zukowski’s unborn child. As a result, Hallbrooks would face a maximum of 85 years in prison if convicted at trial.

“I’m not saying it will happen but it could. You understand, right?” Strackbein asked Hallbrooks.

“Yeah,” he replied.

The rejection of the plea agreement came as a surprise to family and friends of Zukowski, who is also known as Corina Rodriguez. Some in the group arrived in court Thursday morning wearing "Justice for Corina" T-shirts and preparing to face Hallbrooks and read statements.

Zukowski’s mother, Heather Rodriguez of Waterford, was in tears outside the courtroom talking about how her daughter’s life was cut short. She said she plans to lobby the state legislature to change state law and include murders that occur during domestic violence situations punishable by up to life in prison.

“There’s way too many women being killed through domestic violence,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said she plans to contact local state legislators for support. Under state law, there is a charge known as murder with special circumstances that carries a harsher sentence than the maximum of 60 years that comes with a murder conviction. There are eight special circumstances which could carry life in prison without the possibility of parole, including the killing of a police officer or a person under the age of 16 and murder during a kidnapping or sexual assault.

As for the plea offer, Rodriguez said 40 years was not enough but part of her thinks Hallbrooks pleading guilty to murder would have provided some closure and helped to avoid having to relive the bloody details of her daughter’s murder at trial.

East Lyme police said Zukowski, who is a Waterford native who worked at the McDonald's in the Flanders section of East Lyme, had argued with Hallbrooks over his alcohol and drug abuse. When police found her in the motel room where she was staying, she had sustained knife wounds to her neck, hands and chest.

“She has three sons who now don’t have a mother,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said her impression was that Halbrooks declined the plea agreement because he did not want to face the family in court or hear their statements. “He silenced Corina, he’s not going to silence us,” she said.

Josephine Spinnato, 28, who was also present in court on Thursday, called Zukowski her best friend and “the funniest person I’ve ever met in my frickin’ life.”

“She could not walk in the room without me just cracking up for no reason. She always helped everybody and anybody, literally the least judging person. She was there for me through so much I’ve been through,” Spinnato said.

Strackbein said she expected the trial to start this summer. Hallbrooks remains held in Cheshire Correctional Institution in lieu of a $2 million bond.

g.smith@theday.com