MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. — A Pennsylvania man convicted of breaking into a Willingboro home and fatally shooting a mother and daughter in front of a child has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. Junior Edwards, 39, of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, received two consecutive life sentences Thursday for the October 2024 killings of Catherine Nunez, 33, and her mother, Marisol Nunez, 54.
The sentence ensures Edwards will never be released after a Burlington County jury found him guilty earlier this year of multiple charges stemming from the deadly home invasion in the Hawthorne Park section of Willingboro Township.
Judge Removes Defendant After Courtroom Outbursts
Edwards was not present when Superior Court Judge Aimee Belgard imposed the sentence in Burlington County Superior Court.
According to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, the judge ordered Edwards removed from the courtroom earlier in the proceedings because of repeated disruptions and multiple outbursts.
In addition to the consecutive life sentences for the murders, Edwards received concurrent prison terms of 20 years for home invasion burglary and 10 years for endangering the welfare of a child.
The punishment follows a jury trial that ended with guilty verdicts on two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree home invasion burglary while armed with a firearm, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Child Inside Home During Deadly Attack
The case began just after 4 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, when Willingboro Township police responded to a report of a burglary in progress on the first block of Harrington Circle.
Officers entering the residence discovered Catherine Nunez and Marisol Nunez dead in an upstairs bedroom.
Investigators determined both women had been shot multiple times.
Autopsies later confirmed the gunshot wounds caused their deaths.
The investigation revealed that Edwards and Catherine Nunez shared a son, who was 8 years old at the time of the shooting.
The child was inside the home during the attack but was not physically injured.
Key Points
• Junior Edwards received two consecutive life sentences for the murders of Catherine and Marisol Nunez.
• The victims were found shot to death inside a Willingboro home on Oct. 30, 2024.
• An 8-year-old child was inside the residence during the shootings but was unharmed.
• Edwards was removed from the courtroom before sentencing because of disruptive behavior.
Jury Reached Verdict After Two-Day Deliberation
A Burlington County Superior Court jury convicted Edwards earlier this year after approximately six hours of deliberations spread across two days.
Prosecutors argued that Edwards forcibly entered the home and carried out the fatal shootings during the early-morning invasion.
The convictions included the most serious charges available under New Jersey law, reflecting both the deaths of the two victims and the presence of a child in the home during the violence.
The jury’s verdict cleared the way for the consecutive life sentences imposed this week.
Prosecutor Says Families Continue to Carry the Loss
Following the sentencing, Prosecutor Bradshaw acknowledged that no court outcome could undo the damage caused by the killings.
“There is no sentence that can ever heal the pain created by the loss of Catherine and Marisol Nunez,” Bradshaw said. “But we hope this outcome brings some sense of peace to those who loved them and still hold them close in their hearts.”
The prosecution was handled by Assistant Prosecutors Rachel M. Conte and Kaila Diodati.
Multi-Agency Investigation Led to Conviction
The investigation was conducted by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Willingboro Township Police Department.
Authorities also credited the FBI Trenton Greater Safe Streets Task Force, the Lansdowne Police Department, and the Philadelphia Police Department Violent Crimes Task Force for assisting in the case.
Lead investigators included Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Sergeant Jennifer Marchese, Detective Steven Trunfio, and Willingboro Township Police Detective Elijah Hart.
With sentencing now complete, Edwards will serve two consecutive life terms in New Jersey State Prison for the murders of Catherine and Marisol Nunez, closing the criminal case nearly two years after the deadly home invasion shocked the Willingboro community.
