Mt. Laurel Woman Guilty of Fatally Stabbing Mother

(Photo provided)

Marisa Rivera, 27, of Mt. Laurel was convicted this afternoon in Mt. Holly Superior Court of Murder (First Degree), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Third Degree), and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Fourth Degree).

The Honorable Terrence R. Cook, P.J.Cr. found Rivera guilty of fatally stabbing her mother in the residence they shared at the Ramblewood Village Apartments, announced Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw.

Instead of a jury trial, a bench trial was held at the defendant’s request.

The body of Rivera’s mother, 56-year-old Denise DeNapoli, was discovered in their apartment the morning of September 6, 2019, by officers from the Mt. Laurel Police Department. Officers went to the residence to conduct a wellness check after co-workers failed to hear from DeNapoli, who had been scheduled to work from home that day.

The investigation revealed that Rivera had killed the victim earlier that day at approximately 3:30 a.m. and then fled the apartment. Rivera was located several hours later at a Route 73 hotel and taken into custody without incident by Mt. Laurel police officers.

An autopsy performed by the Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Officer determined that DeNapoli’s death was due to multiple stab wounds. Testimony presented at trial late last year indicated the relationship between the defendant and the victim had been steadily deteriorating.

Assistant Prosecutor Rachel Conte prosecuted Rivera. The case was investigated by the Mount Laurel Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office. The lead investigators were MLPD Detective Thomas Corsanico, BCPO Detective Sergeant Tim Horne, and former BCPO Detective Sergeant Nicholas Villano.

Sentencing has been scheduled for March 8.

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