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After deliberating for approximately five hours, a Superior Court jury last week found Taylor Perkins, of Riverton, guilty of manslaughter, eluding, theft by unlawful taking, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon in the April 20, 2023 stabbing in Mount Laurel, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said.
Mount Laurel police were called to the Rodeway Inn on Route 73 in Mount Laurel around 10 a.m. on reports of a fight when they found the body of Michael Jefferies, 36, on the ground outside of a second-floor room near a stairwell, Bradshaw said.
The investigation found that after stabbing Jefferies, Perkins fled on foot to a nearby BMW dealership and drove off in an SUV. He abandoned the SUV in Evesham and stole a truck belonging to an Xfinity worker who was up on a ladder working at the time. He was eventually arrested at a residence on Decatur Street in Camden.
An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood concluded that Jefferies, of Mount Laurel, died from multiple stab wounds. Perkins was prosecuted by BCPO Assistant Prosecutor Rachel Conte.
Superior Court Judge Richard J. Nocella scheduled sentencing for Oct. 18 in Mount Holly.
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