Charles Sheppard was already in prison when DNA evidence linked him to the crime.
CAMDEN -- The man accused of stabbing a city woman to death in 2013 before torching her body inside an abandoned home was sentenced last month to three decades behind bars, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.
Charles Sheppard, who was 24 at the time of the Feb. 8, 2013 murder, was accused of stabbing Rhonda Scott, 38, more than 30 times in the back and stomach. Sheppard then allegedly set Scott's body on fire while inside a vacant home along the 1700 block of Tioga Street.
Sheppard, of Camden, was scheduled to be tried back in April, according to the prosecutor's office, but pleaded guilty to one count of murder in a plea agreement prior to trial.
According to previous reports, Camden County Prosecutor's Office detectives found DNA evidence at the scene and later identified Sheppard as the source. He was already being held in the Camden County Jail when the August 2013 connection was made.
On-the-job texts cost jail officer
The victim's Family First card, an electronic benefits transfer card issued by the state, was later used by a group of five people to purchase items at at a grocery store.
Authorities added that Sheppard later filed a motion in hopes of withdrawing the plea agreement. That motion was denied after an assistant prosecutor presented the case against Sheppard. The state prison sentence was imposed on Aug. 24 by Superior Court Judge Kathleen Delaney in accordance with the negotiated plea agreement.
Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.