Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw announced that a Willingboro Township man has been convicted of murder in the fatal shooting of a 21-year-old Lindenwold woman four years ago while she was sitting in her car in the Millbrook Park section of Willingboro Township.
A Superior Court jury deliberated yesterday and today for approximately three hours before returning guilty verdicts against Marvin A. Coleman Jr., 24, on charges of Felony Murder (First Degree), Murder (First Degree), Robbery (First Degree), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Second Degree) and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Second Degree).
The Hon. Gerard H. Breland, J.S.C., scheduled sentencing for June 9.
The investigation began after police were called to the first block of Medley Lane just before 8:30 a.m. on March 7, 2019, for a report of a female in a parked car with an apparent gunshot wound. Arriving officers found Maribely Lopez in the driver’s seat of her Ford Focus with the engine still running. The investigation determined the shooting occurred at approximately 11 p.m. the night before.
The investigation further revealed that Coleman had made arrangements on March 6 through the marketplace app OfferUp to purchase a used cell phone from Lopez. They agreed that Lopez would meet Coleman in front of a house on Medley Lane, which is a short walk through a field from the defendant’s residence on Marlboro Lane.
But instead of buying the phone, Coleman executed Lopez by firing a shot through the partially opened driver’s side window. The phone that was advertised for sale was discovered by investigators inside of the car.
An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood revealed that Lopez died from a single gunshot to the head.
Coleman was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Bob Van Gilst, supervisor of the BPCO Major Crimes Unit, and Assistant Prosecutor Rachel Conte. The lead investigators were BCPO Detective Sergeant Tony Luyber, BCPO Detective Sergeant Tim Horne, former BCPO Detective Jennifer Appelmann and Willingboro Detective Sergeant Jason Galiazzi.