MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – Marisa Rivera, a 27-year-old Mount Laurel resident, was found guilty today of fatally stabbing her mother in 2019. The conviction, delivered in Superior Court in Mount Holly, includes charges of First Degree Murder, Third Degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and Fourth Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.
The Hon. Terrence R. Cook, P.J.Cr., presided over the bench trial, which was requested by the defendant. Sentencing is scheduled for March 8.
The case stemmed from the death of 56-year-old Denise DeNapoli, Rivera’s mother, whose body was discovered in their shared apartment at Ramblewood Village Apartments on the morning of September 6, 2019. Mount Laurel Police Department officers conducted a wellness check after DeNapoli’s co-workers reported her absence from scheduled work.
Investigations revealed that Rivera committed the murder around 3:30 a.m. on the same day and subsequently fled. She was later found and arrested without incident at a Route 73 hotel by Mount Laurel police officers.
An autopsy by the Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that DeNapoli died from multiple stab wounds. Trial testimony highlighted a deteriorating relationship between Rivera and her mother, providing context to the tragic events.