Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw announced that a 27-year-old Mount Laurel woman has been sentenced to 30 years in state prison for fatally stabbing her mother four-and-a-half years ago in the residence they shared at the Ramblewood Village apartment complex.
Marisa Rivera must serve the entire term before becoming eligible for parole under a sentence handed down March 8 by the Hon. Terrence R. Cook, P.J.Cr., in Superior Court in Mount Holly. Rivera was convicted in January of Murder (First Degree), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Third Degree), and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Fourth Degree).
The investigation began after the body of Rivera’s mother, 56-year-old Denise DeNapoli, was discovered in their apartment the morning of September 6, 2019, by officers from the Mount Laurel Police Department. Officers went to the residence to conduct a wellness check after co-workers failed to hear from DeNapoli, who had been scheduled to work from home that day.
The investigation revealed that Rivera killed her mother earlier that day at approximately 3:30 a.m. and then fled the apartment. Rivera was located several hours later at a Route 73 hotel and taken into custody without incident by Mount Laurel police officers.
An autopsy performed by the Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Officer determined that DeNapoli’s death was due to multiple stab wounds. Testimony presented at trial late last year indicated the relationship between the defendant and the victim had been steadily deteriorating.
Rivera was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Rachel Conte. The case was investigated by the Mount Laurel Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office. The lead investigators were MLPD Sergeant Thomas Corsanico, BCPO Lieutenant Tim Horne and former BCPO Detective Sergeant Nicholas Villano.