MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. — A Riverton resident has been sentenced to 20 years in state prison for fatally stabbing a 36-year-old man during a confrontation at a Mount Laurel hotel last year. The sentence for Taylor Perkins, 30, was delivered this week in Superior Court by the Hon. Richard J. Nocella, J.S.C., following Perkins’ conviction in August.
The case stemmed from an incident on April 20, 2023, when police were called to the Rodeway Inn on Route 73 in Mount Laurel at around 10 a.m. for a report of two men fighting. Officers discovered the victim, Michael Jefferies, of Mount Laurel, lying outside a second-floor room near a stairwell. An autopsy later confirmed that Jefferies died from multiple stab wounds, according to Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood.
Investigators determined that after stabbing Jefferies, Perkins fled the scene on foot, eventually stealing an SUV from a nearby BMW dealership. He later abandoned the vehicle in Evesham and stole a truck belonging to an Xfinity worker, who was on a ladder at the time. Perkins was apprehended at a residence on Decatur Street in Camden.
Following a five-hour jury deliberation in August, Perkins was found guilty of manslaughter (second degree), eluding (second degree), two counts of theft by unlawful taking (third degree), possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (third degree), and unlawful possession of a weapon (fourth degree).
Perkins’ 20-year sentence requires him to serve at least 85% of his term before becoming eligible for parole, according to state sentencing guidelines.
