NJ woman convicted of own mother’s murder in their Mount Laurel home

🔺 NJ woman guilty of killing own mom

🔺 The 27-year-old is convicted of murder

🔺 Court testimony spoke of ‘deteriorating’ relationship

A 27-year-old Mount Laurel woman has been found guilty of her own mother’s brutal killing, in the home they shared over four years ago, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw announced on Friday.

Marisa Rivera was convicted in Burlington County Superior Court of first-degree murder, stemming from the stabbing death of 56-year-old Denise DeNapoli.

Co-workers concern led police to DeNapoli’s body

DeNapoli was found dead by Mount Laurel Police at the Ramblewood Village Apartments on Sept. 6, 2019.

Officers were doing a wellness check after co-workers failed to hear from DeNapoli, who had been scheduled to work from home that day.

Police found that Rivera had killed her mother very early that morning and then fled the apartment.

Rivera was taken into custody several hours later at a hotel along Route 73.

An autopsy by the Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Officer found that DeNapoli’s death was due to multiple stab wounds.

Testimony during Rivera’s trial late last year indicated the relationship between her and her mother had been steadily deteriorating, according to Bradshaw.

An affidavit of probable cause previously cited by NJ.com in 2019 said that Rivera had been diagnosed schizophrenic, according to a coworker of the victim.

After being taken into custody, Rivera told police that she had stopped taking her medications.

Rivera also was found guilty of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, according to Bradshaw.

Sentencing has been slated for March 8.

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