Riverton Man Convicted For The Fatal Stabbing Of 36-Year-Old Man
Friday, September 6, 2024, 4:00 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
MOUNT HOLLY, NJ.- Burlington County LaChia L. Bradshaw reported that a jury sitting in Burlington County, New Jersey, has convicted a 30-year-old Riverton, New Jersey, man in connection with the stabbing death of a 36-year-old man that occurred in April 2023, at the Rodeway Inn on Route 73 in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.
Following a trial and deliberating for just five hours, the jury found Taylor Perkins, 30, of Riverton, guilty on the charges of second-degree Manslaughter; second-degree Eluding; two counts of third-degree Theft by Unlawful Taking; third-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose; and fourth-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
After the guilty verdict was entered into the record, the Honorable Richard J. Nocella, J.S.C., who presided over the trial, scheduled Perkins for sentencing on October 18, 2024, in Burlington County Superior in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
Investigation
The conviction and charges stem from an investigation that began on April 20, 2023, when, shortly before 10:00 p.m., members of the Mount Laurel Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting two men fighting inside the Rodeway Inn hotel located on Route 73 in Mount Laurel.
Upon arrival, Police Officers discovered the body of Michael Jefferies on the ground outside of a second-floor room near a stairwell. Mr. Jefferies was pronounced deceased at the scene.
An ensuing investigation by Detectives and responding Police Officers Determined that following an altercation leading to the stabbing, Perkins fled the hotel on foot to a nearby BMW dealership and drove off in a sport utility vehicle. Perkins subsequently abandoned the vehicle in Evesham, New Jersey, and stole a truck belonging to an Xfinity cable company worker who was up on a ladder at the time. Perkins was later apprehended on Decatur Street in Camden, New Jersey.
