Mount Holly, NJ – Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw announced the sentencing of 27-year-old Donovan G. Hollingsworth to 34 years in state prison for the murder of a friend and his dog in Evesham in early 2022.
The sentencing occurred on Friday in Superior Court, where Judge Terrence R. Cook, P.J.Cr., imposed a 30-year sentence with no parole eligibility for the murder charge against Hollingsworth, followed by an additional four years for the killing of the dog. Convicted in August after a jury deliberated for just over an hour, Hollingsworth faced charges including first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, and cruelty to animals.
The investigation began on February 5, 2022, after Evesham Township Police were called to the Olympus Apartments due to a report of a dog attack. Upon arrival, officers found 26-year-old Thomas Pierson III dead from multiple stab wounds, along with his Cane Corso, Django, also fatally stabbed.
It was determined that Hollingsworth had intended to rob Pierson, leading to a fatal altercation. Hollingsworth was apprehended after seeking treatment for minor injuries at Virtua Voorhees Hospital. BCPO Detective Sergeant Brian Cunningham and ETPD Detective Joseph Magnus led the case.