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Hospital sent man home 5 days after frying pan attack. He died 3 weeks later

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Authorities said Maleia Cole, 33, followed him into a store and hit him repeatedly with the pans.

FRANKLIN TWP. -- When the family and friends of the late Jason Lewis, 35, viewed his body at a funeral home Wednesday evening, a hat was carefully placed on his head.

It covered the evidence of Lewis' tragic, brutal death: a fresh scar of at least six inches from his forehead to behind his ear, plus other cuts and shaved patches from his hospitalization and autopsy, according to his father, Daniel Munoz.

"He was a good kid, and he's going to be missed by a lot of people," Munoz said at his home in Franklinville before the service. "I can't believe it. Now we're putting him to rest."

Lewis' death Sept. 26 didn't make headlines until Tuesday, when the Camden County Prosecutor's Office announced the shocking circumstances behind it. 

The office said that on Sept. 2, Maleia Cole, 33, chased Lewis across the street from his home in Camden and into a convenience store on Mount Ephraim Avenue in Woodlynne, beating him repeatedly in the head with two frying pans.

Surveillance video footage shows he tried to walk away from her, but she still knocked him to the ground and kept beating him before someone took the pans, according to the prosecutor's probable cause statement.

Cole was arrested after the incident, Munoz said. She was released and, after Lewis died, arrested on a murder charge Monday by federal marshals. Authorities wrote in the probable cause statement that Cole admitted to the beating, saying she was angry because they had argued and he walked out of the trailer where they lived.

Munoz said authorities told him the blows to his son's head were so violent that one of the pans' handles was partially broken.

pantry-1.jpgAuthorities say Maleia Cole followed Jason Lewis to the store across the street, hitting him in the parking lot and when he entered the store. 

Lewis' death came several weeks after he was discharged from a hospital where staff apparently believed he was well enough to go home. Messages left for media representatives of Lourdes Health System were not returned Wednesday.

Emergency personnel responding to 911 calls about the incident transported the bloodied but conscious Lewis just over one mile to Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, according to the probable cause statement. He was diagnosed with a severe brain injury and treated for for five days before he was sent home, the statement said.

"You could tell something wasn't right. He was slow in reacting," Munoz said of his son at that point. He said Lewis still appeared to be in pain.

"On that Sunday I went to watch the football game with him and I brought him a sandwich, and he's a big eater," Munoz said. "But he only took two bites of it. Something's wrong."

He said he believes his son went to an emergency room for help, but was not admitted for care, during the five-day period after he was discharged.

On Sept. 12, according to Munoz, Lewis ran from his home yelling that he needed to go to the emergency room, and was taken to Cooper University Hospital's level 1 trauma center.

"Within 20 minutes he was in the operating room," Munoz said. "He had a full brain bleed."

Lewis suffered three strokes and for the remainder of his life -- 13 days in the intensive care unit -- he was unable to speak or respond to instructions, Munoz said.

Lewis died 24 days after the alleged attack. A medical examiner determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. 

The prosecutor's office said that both Cole and Lewis told police they were dating, but Munoz said his son had always told him he was just letting Cole stay in the trailer to "help her out."

Munoz said he had a bad feeling about it, and told his son as much.

Cole has two past convictions, according to court records. One was for aggravated assault with intent to cause significant injury in 2004. Details about the crime were not immediately available.

The second conviction was for making terroristic threats. She was sentenced to a year of probation after she threatened to shoot and kill everyone in the Camden County Police Department lobby on June 13, 2016, according to information from the prosecutor's office.

Munoz said it wasn't the first time his son relayed that he was letting someone stay at his place who didn't have anywhere else to go.

"He always helps people out. When he had an apartment, he would let people stay there," he said. "He didn't have nothing but what he had, he'd share with whoever."

He said Lewis grew up in Camden and Pennsauken, where his mother lives. He dropped out of high school but Munoz said he completed the New Jersey ChalleNGe Youth Program at the Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst. He had run-ins with the law that his father attributes to trouble he found on "the streets."

Lewis dealt with health problems including one that damaged his kidneys and meant he had to be on dialysis three times a week. That made it hard to work, Munoz said, but his son was working side jobs, had his forklift operator's license, and was trying to make a better life for himself.

He also loved being a dad to his four children, who live in the Camden and Pennsauken area, his father said.

"He was very easy going. He had a very quiet demeanor," he said of Lewis. Investigators told him that the surveillance footage shows that his son "never raised a hand" to his attacker, Munoz said.

Hours before his family members and friends would gather to say their goodbyes to Lewis Wednesday evening, his father said the pain and panic of losing his son sometimes feels like a heart attack.

"I've been dealing with chronic pain for years, but with this here, it's double worse. Now it's not on the outside," he said, gesturing toward his chest. "It's like a heavy heart."

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.


NJ.com boys soccer Top 20, Oct. 5: Showdowns on the horizon

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See how the boys soccer Top 20 looks in October's first edition.

Stolen Rockwell painting returned to family after 40 years set for auction

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The restored painting could fetch up to $1.5 million

PHILADELPHIA  -- A Norman Rockwell painting recently returned to a family after it was stolen from their New Jersey home more than 40 years ago is going up for auction.

The 1919 painting, known as "Taking a Break" and "Lazybones," was returned to members of the Grant family by FBI art crimes agents in Philadelphia last March. The piece was one of a number of items stolen from the family's home in Cherry Hill, during a June 30, 1976, break-in.

The Grants knew the painting was theirs because it still had damage from where their father had struck it with a pool cue.

Heritage Auctions announced Wednesday the painting will be auctioned Nov. 3 in Dallas, where it is expected to fetch up to $1.5 million. But that pool cue damage isn't part of the deal.

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Aviva Lehmann, the auction house's director of American Fine Art in New York, said a conservator mended the tell-tale hole and restored the painting.

"We were on the fence on whether to offer it as-is or clean it up," she said.

After consulting the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, it was decided to restore it and make it look as fresh as possible

"It looks like it was painted yesterday," Lehmann said. "The family gasped, it was so startling in a very good way. It literally looks like it was brought back to life."

Robert Grant was playing pool at a friend's house in 1954 when he drew his cue back a bit too dramatically, damaging one of four Norman Rockwell paintings in the room.

In a "you break it, you buy it" moment, Grant paid the pal $50 for the artwork, which depicts a boy sleeping on the ground, his dozing dog's head in his lap and the hoe he should be using for chores perched between his knees.

For Grant's children, being reunited with the painting was emotional, because it meant so much to their late parents.

John Grant said he and his five siblings decided it made the most sense to auction the painting, since no one really felt safe having something that valuable just hanging in their home.

"If my dad was still alive it would be back on the wall," he said. "It was the family jewel, no doubt. It would have been the perfect ending to a really long story."

Bosco stuns SJR, P'way rolls and 18 more bold predictions for Week 5 of HS football

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We make our predictions.

Rising stars: N.J.'s Top 75 girls soccer juniors - our picks, you vote

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A look at the top 75 juniors in N.J. girls soccer.

Realty company repeatedly fired pregnant women, lawsuit claims

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The company denies that the women were fired because they were pregnant.

CAMDEN -- A Gibbsboro-based realty company had repeatedly mistreated and fired employees who were pregnant, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is arguing in a federal lawsuit on behalf of the women.

According to the suit, the commission got involved after one of the women, Brianna Mazzella, filed a complaint with the federal agency describing being belittled, given more "onerous tasks" and eventually fired from Friedman Realty Group after she disclosed that she was pregnant in 2013.

The EEOC earlier this year found there was reasonable cause to support her claim and filed the lawsuit after attempt to negotiate an informal settlement fell through, the lawsuit states.

David Friedman, vice president of Friedman Realty Group, denied the claims in a statement Thursday.

"The company has done nothing improper and did not terminate any of these women for the reasons advanced in the complaint," he said in the statement. "We take very seriously any claims of discrimination of any kind. Fairness, diversity and inclusion are high priorities for our company."

The company is based in Gibbsboro but has other offices, including the one in Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, where Mazzella worked.

The EEOC said that when Mazzella, a leasing consultant, notified her regional manager of her pregnancy in 2013, the manager started subjecting her to increased scrutiny and discipline. She also made comments about pregnancy including "pregnancy makes you retarded" and "I would never have kids, it's gross," the EEOC alleges. Mazzella was fired in August of 2013.

Friedman confirmed that the manager, Gina Mercurio, no longer works for the company.

The EEOC said two other women, Alison Robovitsky and Nichole Milano, were also subjected to increased scrutiny and discipline and eventually, firing, due to their pregnancies.

Robovitsky, a cleaner in the Prospect Park office, was written up for "poor performance" and fired within three days of notifying her employer she was pregnant in 2013, the suit claims.

Milano, a leasing consultant in Somers Point, notified her employer she was pregnant in January, the suit states. She noticed in March that the company had posted an advertisement to fill her position and was fired the next month, the EEOC alleges.

The commission is seeking backpay with interest and compensation for damages for the three women, as well as a judge's order for the company to craft and enforce new policies to prevent discrimination.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

 

Meet Timber Creek, N.J.'s No. 5 football team, and winners of 20 straight

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The Chargers are back-to-back South Jersey Group 4 champions.

SJT Game of the Week: There's much at stake as Gloucester hosts Schalick

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The Classic Division title and a Group 1 playoff berth could be on the line.

The Classic Division title and a Group 1 playoff berth could be on the line.


5-year-olds found help at barber shop after mom killed while housesitting

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Shawneeq Carter was killed while housesitting at a home in Woodbury.

WOODBURY -- Brandon Parker was working at the Broadway Styles barber shop on Broad Street on the evening of Saturday, Sept. 23, when two kids walked in around 8:30.

They were carrying plastic toy swords and one had a box of Cheez-It crackers. They were looking for something to drink.

Shawneeq M. Carter.jpgShawneeq M. Carter, 26, of Camden, was found murdered in a Woodbury home. (Facebook)
 

The 5-year-olds told Parker something terrible had happened at their house on nearby Hopkins Street.

He didn't know if they were telling the truth or if they really understood the severity of what they were saying.

Parker walked the kids around the corner back to Hopkins Street and down to the address they gave him. When no one answered the door, he called 911.

"Two little kids walked up to the barber shop and said somebody killed their mom,' Parker tells a 911 dispatcher on a recording released by Gloucester County in response to an Open Public Records Act request. "They said she was laying on the floor with a knife stab ... with something stabbed in her."

Police responded and found the body of Shawneeq M. Carter, 26, of Camden. She was housesitting for a friend and was staying in the duplex with her 5-year-old son and another child.

Carter's father told 6ABC that the kids found her body sometime on Friday and that they had heard nothing to indicate what had happened to her. It wasn't until Saturday night that they wandered out of the house and into the barbershop. 

Given their ages, they didn't realize what had happened, Parker said Thursday. "They were just kids."

As police arrived at the home, Parker remained with the children.

"I didn't go into the house," he said. "We sat across the street while they went in the house."

Investigators say Carter died of blunt force trauma, but have provided no other details. They have noted that they don't believe the community is in any danger.

Family and friends say Carter's son is struggling to understand that his mother is gone.

"He's traumatized. He keeps asking where his mom his," Carter's friend, Golden Ike, said during a vigil held last Thursday night. "Nobody knows what to tell him."

Funeral services for Carter were held Tuesday.

Anyone with information about Carter's death is asked to contact Detective Warren Rivell of the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office at 856-384-5625 or Detective Carl Villone of the Woodbury City Police Department at 856-845-0065.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

Man guilty in killing of Good Samaritan trying to protect mom, toddler

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Man guilty of killing neighbor after he tried to stop him from beating ex-girlfriend.

CAMDEN -- A 26-year-old Camden man has been found guilty of killing a neighbor after the neighbor tried to stop him from beating his ex-girlfriend, the Camden County Prosecutor said Thursday.

Brandon Mosby was convicted of murder Wednesday for the fatal shooting of John Carey, 48, of Audubon. The incident occurred in March 2014 in a boarding home in the 500 block of the White Horse Pike in Audubon. 

Mosby shot Carey when a domestic dispute spilled into the hallway of the single-family home that had been converted into a boarding house, the jury concluded. Carey was trying to protect the woman and her toddler, authorities said.

The woman had attempted to end her relationship with Mosby on the night of the murder, according to testimony.

Mosby faces a minimum of 30 years in jail or a potential life term when he is sentenced in December.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
 

Don't count them out: 28 HS football teams that are better than their record

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28 teams with slow starts, who have potential to turn things around

Red-hot teams, county tournament chaos & more hot topics in N.J. boys soccer

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Complete recap of the past week of boys soccer action

These are all the apple varieties you can find in N.J.

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Confused about the difference between Empire and Jonagold? Wonder no more

N.J. football mega-coverage guide: Everything you need for Week 5

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Everything you need to know for this week.

Below is NJ.com's mega-coverage guide for Week 5. Keep track of schedules, predictions, previews, features and breaking news from around the state all the way up until kickoff.

ESSENTIALS 
Bosco stuns SJR, P'way rolls and 18 more bold predictions for Week 5 of HS football
Can't-miss football: Top 5 matchup and 27 more great Week 5 games
Week 5 schedule/scoreboard
Schedule/scoreboard by conference
Statewide stat leaders through Week 4
Power points updated through Week 4
Statewide standings through Week 4

RANKINGS
Top 20
Group and conference rankings

PICKS 
NJ.com predicts every winner in the state
Scores and predictions for Top 20 teams
Picks for each of N.J.'s six conferences

MUST-READ CONTENT  
Coaching swap just 1 key matchup in Game of the Week clash between Bosco, SJR
What will be the difference in No. 11 Rancocas Valley at No. 9 Lenape game?
Meet Timber Creek, N.J.'s No. 5 football team, and winners of 20 straight
Sharkey Week: Bergen Catholic transfer set to take over as Verona's quarterback
Who is N.J.'s best HS mascot? Nominations open for NJ.com's Mascot Challenge
Hunterdon Central football young and improving
12th Man TD Club honors weekly Trenton area football players
Times of Trenton Football Players of the Week: Allentown's Merkel, New Egypt's Healy
Burlington City, New Egypt will keep things simple in WJFL Freedom showdown

A LOOK BACK AT WEEK 4
Results and links for Week 4
Who were the best N.J. football players last week? Here are 40 Week 4 stars
N.J. football hot takes: The biggest, best, brightest of Week 4
Week 4 stat leaders
•  Best photos from Week 4

RECRUITING NEWS  
3-star California QB Sean Chambers decommits from Rutgers

Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Frying-pan murder suspect was a 'battered woman,' lawyer says

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Maleia Coles is charged in the death of her boyfriend Jason Lewis.

CAMDEN -- A woman accused of beating her boyfriend to death with two frying pans was denied pretrial release Friday by a state judge.

Maleia Cole sobbed and wiped tears from her eyes as Assistant Prosecutor Peter Crawford read details of the brazen daytime attack in a convenience store parking lot and inside of the store.

"The video shows the defendant strike Mr. (Jason) Lewis on the head from behind," Crawford said. "Mr. Lewis then walks into the Pantry 1 Food Store. The video shows this defendant repeatedly strike Mr. Cole over the head with these two metal frying pans. She hits him in the head, in the face, in the back."

Crawford said the beating continued after Lewis fell to the floor and didn't stop until a customer took the pans out of her hands. She then walked out of the store and back across the street to her home in a nearby trailer park.

Hospital sent man home 5 days after frying pan attack. He died 3 weeks later

The incident occurred at a store on Mount Ephraim Avenue in Woodlynne. Coles and Lewis lived across the street in a trailer park in Camden.

Lewis was hospitalized at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center after the attack on Sept. 2 and then released five days later. He was admitted to Cooper University Hospital on Sept. 12 and underwent emergency brain surgery. He died there two weeks later, Crawford said.

Meg Butler, Coles public defender, said Cole had been the victim of domestic abuse at the hands of Lewis. She said Lewis was a heavy drug user and had prior arrests for drugs.

"She is a battered woman," Butler said, making an argument for pretrial release.

But Judge Edward McBride denied Cole's release, agreeing with Crawford that Cole's Public Safety Assessment score was "as high as it can get." Cole had previous convictions for terroristic threats, aggravated assault and simple assault.

Cole stood throughout the 17-minute hearing, with handcuffs connected to a chain around her waist. Her face was thin and draw, with several missing front teeth.

She quietly walked out of the courtroom after the McBride denied her release.

Lewis' family doesn't buy the public defender's account of him.

"He was a good kid, and he's going to be missed by a lot of people," Daniel Munoz, Lewis' father said earlier this week. "I can't believe it. Now we're putting him to rest."

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Football: LIVE updates, results and links for Week 5

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Your one-stop shop for everything you need.

WEEK 5 ESSENTIALS 
Mega-coverage guide
20 bold predictions
28 can't-miss games
Top 20 picks and schedule
Picks for all 6 conferences
Week 5 schedule/scoreboard
Rankings: Top 20, Group & conference

FRIDAY'S FEATURED GAMES 
No. 3 DePaul at No. 1 St. Peter's Prep, 7
Live updates
 Game story 
• Box score

No. 11 Rancocas Valley at No. 9 Lenape, 7 
Live updates
What will be the difference?
No matter position, RV's Kondras has bond with QB
• Game story 

•  Photo gallery 
• Box score


PLUS: Don't count them out - 28 teams that are better than their record


Eastern at No. 5 Timber Creek, 7 
Live updates
Meet Timber Creek
• Game story 

•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

No. 19 Piscataway at Sayreville, 7 
Live updates
 Game story 
•  Photo gallery

• Box score

Belvidere at Manville, 7 
Live updates
• Game story 

•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Wallington at Emerson, 7 
Live updates
 Game story 
• Box score

Lakeland at Newton, 7 
 Game story 
• Box score 

Rahway at Somerville, 7 
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score


RELATED: Who is N.J.'s best mascot? Nominations open


Bridgewater-Raritan at North Hunterdon, 7 
• Game story 
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

New Egypt at Burlington City, 7
Teams will keep things simple
• Game story 

• 
 Photo gallery 
• Box score

Delran at Bordentown, 7 
 Game story 
• Box score 

Hamilton West at Burlington Township, 7 
 Game story 
• Box score 

Trenton at Notre Dame, 7 
 Game story 
• Box score 

Gloucester at Schalick, 7 
Live updates
There's so much at stake 
• Game story 

•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

St. Augustine at Bridgeton, 7 
• Game story 
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Buena at Highland, 7
 Game story 
• Box score 

Middle Township at Triton, 7 
 Game story 
• Box score 

Shawnee at Kingsway, 7 
 Game story 
• Box score 

West Deptford at Sterling, 7 
 Game story 
• Box score 

TOP 20 SCOREBOARD
Friday
No. 3 DePaul at No. 1 St. Peter's Prep, 7
Eastern at No. 5 Timber Creek, 7
No. 11 Rancocas Valley at No. 9 Lenape, 7
Wall at No. 15 Red Bank Catholic, 7
No. 17 Westfield at Union, 7
No. 18 Howell at Neptune, 7
No. 19 Piscataway at Sayreville, 7
Saturday
No. 14 Don Bosco Prep at No. 4 St. Joseph (Mont.), 1
No. 8 Paramus Catholic at No. 6 Pope John, 1
No. 12 Manalapan at Colts Neck, 2
No. 13 Montclair at East Orange, 1
Bergenfield at No. 16 River Dell, 6
No. 20 Old Tappan at Fair Lawn, 2:30

SATURDAY'S LIVE COVERAGE 
No. 14 Don Bosco Prep at No. 4 St. Joseph (Mont.), 1
No. 8 Paramus Catholic at No. 6 Pope John, 1 
Glassboro at Penns Grove

SATURDAY'S FEATURED GAMES 
No. 14 Don Bosco Prep at No. 4 St. Joseph (Mont.), 1 
Live updates

Coaching swap just 1 key matchup
• Game story 

•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

No. 8 Paramus Catholic at No. 6 Pope John, 1  
Live updates
• Game story 

• Box score

Glassboro at Penns Grove, 2 
• Live updates
• Game story 

•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Lawrence at Ewing, 2 
• Game story 
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Lindenwold at Haddon Heights, 2 
• Game story 
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

West Windsor-Plainsboro South at Nottingham, 2
• Game story 

• Box score

Allentown at Pemberton, 2 
• Game story 
• Box score

Steinert at Princeton, 2 
• Game story 
• Box score

Old Tappan at Fair Lawn, 2:30 
•  Photo gallery 
• Box score

Lincoln at Parsippany, 4 
• Game story 
• Box score

STATEWIDE SCOREBOARD

'I was high,' murder suspect says before her pretrial release was denied

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Carhia Fisher and two men face murder charges after failed robbery.

CAMDEN -- Carhia Fisher clutched tissues she had used to wipe away tears and continues to sob as sheriff deputies led her out of courtroom 36 Friday morning.

"I'm not coming home," she said, turning in the direction of supporters in the courtroom. "I'm not coming home," she said again, warning the sheriffs "don't touch me" as they walked her out of the room.

Fisher is being held on a murder charge with two other men accused of beating an indigent man to death in his Camden home.

Fisher's public defender, Megan Davies, passionately argued for her pretrial release. She said she was intimidated into a confession by police in Camden. Davies said she watched a video of the police interrogation and was sickened.

"I've honestly never had such a physical reaction to the interview of a suspect before," Davies said. "It deeply concerns me what happened in my client's interview."

Davies said male officers cowered over Fisher and yelled at her. The attorney said her client "probably doesn't weigh 100 pounds wet."

Another officer is seen rubbing her back at one point, Davies said. It was "inappropriate," she said.

Fisher, 40, of Camden, and two men, Duron Abdullah, 47, of Pennsauken, Morris Clark, 50, of Merchantville all face murder charges in the death of Kyle Bell. Investigators said the trio killed Bell, 47, during a robbery in his boarding home on Sept. 12.

Davies said Fisher lived on the first floor of the home on Morton Street. Bell lived on the second floor. The public defender said Fisher heard a commotion and went upstairs to investigate. But Fisher also admitted taking some of Bells belongings after the assault and leaving in a car with Clark afterward.

Fisher continued to sob and wail throughout the 26-minute proceeding. At one point she blurted out "I was high!"

Assistant Prosecutor Peter Gallagher argued Fisher was a willing participant in the robbery and assault.

"Her story doesn't pass the smell test," he concluded.

Superior Court Judge Edward McBride agreed with Gallagher and denied a pretrial release.

Fisher needed to be helped up out of her seat after the ruling, looking back at supporters in the courtroom as she was led away. She could be heard wailing loudly in a detention room just outside of the courtroom.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

N.J. football hot takes: Thrilling finishes highlight wild Week 5

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Highlights of Week 5 football - check back again Saturday evening.

Man gets 20 years for killing wife over affair, threat to leave

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Nitin P. Singh stabbed his wife, Seema Singh, nearly 40 times in their North Broadway apartment in Pennsville Township early on the morning of July 19, 2016.

SALEM -- The man who admitting stabbing his wife nearly 40 times over an affair and her threat to leave him and take everything has been sentenced to 20 years in state prison for killing her.

Nitin P. Singh, 48, must serve 85 percent of that sentence on the single charge of first-degree aggravated manslaughter before he is eligible for parole under the terms of the sentence handed down by Superior Court Judge Linda Lawhun Friday in Salem.

On Aug. 24 when Singh appeared in court to plead guilty to killing his wife, Seema, 42, Singh's defense attorney laid out the details of what Singh said sparked the killing as they argued on the morning of July 19, 2016.

"During that argument did your wife admit to having an affair with someone you knew, a friend of yours?" attorney David Branco asked Singh.

"Yes," said Singh.

"Did she tell you she was going to take your money, your home, and your business, and your children and start a new family with this other man?" Branco asked. "Did she tell you she was going to leave you with nothing as a result?

Singh replied "yes."

Singh said he went into a rage and picked up the first thing he saw, a knife, and began stabbing her.

Man tells 911 wife's not breathing

Singh would later call 911 seeking help for his wife. When authorities arrived around 5:30 a.m. the morning of the killing they found Seema Singh on the kitchen floor, her husband standing over her.

He was taken into custody and charged. Later he would be indicted.

The couple's three young children who were asleep in an adjacent bedroom in the first-floor apartment on North Broadway in Pennsville were shepherded out of the building through a side door so that they did not see their mother.

The motive for the killing remained unclear until Singh's August appearance where he described what he said prompted his attack.

Singh said Friday through his defense attorney, Ron Helmer, a law partner of David Branco, that he did not want to make any comment before his sentencing.

Clean-shaven at the time of his arrest more than a year ago, Singh now has grown long gray hair and a gray beard. Handcuffed and shackled and dressed in orange jail garb Friday, he had no supporters, either friend or family in the courtroom attending the sentencing.

At the urging of Salem County First Assistant Prosecutor William Brennan, Lawhun let stay in place a no-contact order between Singh and his three children and their current guardians during his time of imprisonment and parole afterward.

Helmer had asked that that order be dropped.

It was noted in court Friday that the incident was Singh's first brush with the law.

The sentencing at the Salem County Courthouse brought to a close a case that rocked Pennsville where there had not been a murder for nearly 20 years. Singh and his wife had operated a popular Camden County deli.

As part of the plea deal with prosecutors, other charges against Singh were dismissed.

He will get credit for the 444 days he has already served in the Salem County Correctional Facility. 

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

'I'm not alone in my fight' says competitor in inclusive, global run

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The Cherry Hill native ran alongside racers from Sweden, Australia, China and more, all who have been diagnosed with some type of disease.

CHERRY HILL -- One word --'validated.'

It's the word that came to mind as Cherry Hill native Vincent Myers sprinted the last half mile of his most recent race. It's the feeling he felt when he crossed the finish line. It's the word that echoes in his mind even now, a week after he competed in the most meaningful race of his five-year running career. 

Unknown.pngVincent Myers crosses the finish line after 10 miles. (Provided)
 

When Myers, 40, began running five years ago, as a means to keep a handle on his Type 1 Diabetes, he could barely make it to the end of the block, just two houses down.

Now, with a new found passion for running, he runs more than 30 miles a week and regularly competes in races of all distances, including triathlons and marathons. 

"With the mindset that effort breeds success, I've made it from the end of my block to go on and do 5ks, 10ks, 10 milers, half marathons, a marathon, 2 triathlons," he said. 

His success on the running routes is a far cry from the sense of hopelessness he experienced when he was initially diagnosed with type 1 diabetes but that diagnosis is how he got involved with the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and Medtronic TC 10 Mile events.

Medtronic Twin Cities events are made to get people with all types of diagnoses running and moving together. The races gather people from all over the world with different medical conditions to compete in the 10-miler or marathon event. 

Only 20 runners are selected to participate based on their applications, personal stories and letters of recommendation. This year, 2017, was Myers' fourth time applying. 

He was chosen from more than 300 applicants. 

"It was humbling to know that my story of living with Type 1 Diabetes and an insulin pump all while running was inspiring," he said. "I was overcome with emotion."

"But running the race was just a small part of the weekend," he added. "The entire weekend itself was overwhelming, emotional and inspiring beyond words."

On Sept. 28, Myers made his way to Minneapolis-St. Paul, where he met the other runners for a group dinner. They shared their stories and were informally recognized for their triumphs with their diagnoses. The participants were also given a tour of Medtronic where they met scientists who help create and improve upon existing medical technology that many of the runners use -- insulin pumps, brain stimulators, pace makers. 

When all formalities were over, it was race day. 

On Oct. 1, runners were out of the hotel by 5 a.m. to get to the starting line. 

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"I didn't know what kind of race I wanted to run," Myers said. "Did I want to just enjoy and take in the moment? Did I want to go all out and get a [personal record]? I was thinking about it all weekend and still didn't decide." 

When the clock started and the runners took off, Myers said he did the best thing he could have done -- he just "did him." He had fun, ran hard and took the time to take in the scenes and thank the Medtronic volunteers he passed for keeping him alive and allowing him to do what he does. 

"Never being in the Twin Cities before, I was in awe," he said. "I had just about a half mile to go and I could see the capital and the Medtronic grandstand. My adrenaline kicked in and I sprinted to the end." 

Running his race, his way led him to a new personal record by more than five minutes -- 1:16:42. 

To finish with a personal record was a great feeling, a feeling any runner looks forward to, but the Medtrinic race weekend was more than just a personal record to Myers.

Being part of a team of 19 runners from Sweenden, China, Australia and Poland, a team of people with varrying diagnoses including Parkinson's, in need of pacemakers and who need insulin pumps to cross the finish line, was an experience Myers will cherish for the rest of his life. 

"Hearing all these other runners' stories and me being able to do what I do [finishing in the top ten percent], I left the weekend knowing I was going to be okay," he said. "I know I am not alone in my fight, I know I'm going to be okay. I am validated."

Caitlyn Stulpin may be reached at cstulpin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitstulpin. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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