Nitin "Paul" Singh is charged with killing his wife, Seema Singh, in Pennsville July 19.
COLLINGSWOOD -- Several bouquets and one melted candle still remained Friday outside the Quick Stop Deli in memory of Seema Singh, 42, who helped her husband run the shop for years before authorities say was stabbed to death by him July 19.
Nitin "Paul" Singh, 46, of Pennsville, was charged with her murder and remains jailed, but his father has reopened the deli at the corner of W. Collings and Richey avenues.
Sitting behind the deli counter Friday, he declined to give his name, but said his son is innocent and maintains that someone else killed Seema Singh.
"He didn't do it," he said of Nitin Singh, 46. "Somebody else was there."
He did not elaborate and declined to say who is now caring for the couple's three children, but Pennsville police Chief Allen J. Cummings said they are staying with a Pennsville family whom they know. He said he recently saw two of the three children, aged 16, 6 and 5, and they seemed to be doing well.
Authorities said that the children were sleeping in the 144 North Broadway home when their father stabbed their mother more than 30 times early July 19. He called 911 around 5:30 a.m. asking for help because his wife wasn't breathing, according to a recording released to NJ Advance Media.
Police said they found her dead on the floor of the kitchen with Nitin Singh standing above her, his clothes, hands and arms bloodied. The children were led out a side door so they would not see what Cummings described as a "very horrific scene."
Community mourns woman stabbed to death
Cummings said at the time that the Singhs' families came to the United States a few days after being informed of Seema Singh's death. They met with the chief and then visited Nitin Singh at the Salem County Correctional Facility in Mannington Township where he is being held on $1 million cash bail.
Asked Friday how the family was dealing with the tragedy, Singh's father shook his head and said, "What can I do? The whole family is destroyed."
He said he is confident that his son is innocent because neither Nitin Singh -- nor anyone in his family -- has ever done anything like this.
Authorities said they had never been called to the residence for any type of domestic disturbance and a tenant of the Singhs, George Hemple, said he never heard any raised voices or arguing from his landlord's dwelling. New Jersey Superior Court records show no previous criminal convictions for Nitin Singh.
Regulars stopping at the Collingswood deli the day after the killing to pay their respects to Seema Singh said she and Nitin Singh were usually friendly and cheerful. But at a vigil the previous evening, several told the Courier-Post that Nitin Singh had seemed depressed and distracted over the last year.
He was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree aggravated assault, fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and fourth-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
A spokeswoman for the Salem Superior Court said the court has received no indication that Nitin Singh has private counsel, so a public defender will likely be appointed at his next court date Aug. 25.
Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.