New Jersey man Jeremiah Monell has been found guilty of murdering his estranged wife Tara O’Shea-Watson. Cumberland County prosecutors said he choked and fatally stabbed her to death in her home while their children were present.
Their son Jeremiah ‘Miah’ Monell testified to witnessing the event in December 18, 2016, when he was 12 years old. He said his father was at the residence fixing mom’s car in the driveway, when Miah’s mother and his sister returned home, and his dad went inside the house to sit on the couch.
Miah said his father stayed at the residence. He testified that he later woke up to see his father choking O’Shea-Watson for about a minute.
The younger Monell testified that his father asked the defendant to let her “die in peace.” Instead, the elder Monell grabbed a knife and began stabbing her.
“I looked away,” Miah said. He testified that he went to bed and cried. After the murder, his father smoked a cigarette and later told him, “You should not have seen that,” according to the testimony.
The elder Monell told him that he and his little sister would probably have to stay with an uncle from then on out, he said. Miah testified that he then carried his sister to the home of a friend of their mother.
Friends of O’Shea-Watson told NJ.com that the defendant terrorized and abused her. She even planned on moving to Tennessee to get away from him, they said.
The defense said in closing arguments that Miah didn’t see everything that happened. No testimony showed there was any blood in fixtures such as the faucet, soaps, sinks, or the like. There was also no evidence in the truck Monell supposedly used to get away in a two-week manhunt, they said.
Sentencing is set for March 1.
[Mugshot via New Jersey State Police]
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
