A quiet apartment complex in Lumberton, New Jersey turned into a crime scene after a woman was found brutally stabbed inside her own home — and the man now charged with her murder is her own nephew.
Jason Mutschler, 40, of Hainesport, has been charged with the murder of his 60-year-old aunt, Vanessa Sturtevant, after her body was discovered Friday afternoon inside her unit at the Sterling Glen Apartments on Eayrestown Road.
It was another family member who made the devastating discovery — walking in to find Sturtevant dead in what should have been the safety of her own home.
The injuries were brutal. According to the Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office, Sturtevant suffered stab wounds to her head and neck, along with severe blunt force trauma to her face. The death was officially ruled a homicide.
Investigators quickly zeroed in on Mutschler as the prime suspect. He was taken into custody by State Police and formally charged Saturday after being questioned at the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.
Mutschler now faces three charges — murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon.
This is not his first run-in with the law. Just last month, Mutschler was indicted on third-degree burglary charges for an incident that occurred a year ago. Now, he faces something far more serious.
A detention hearing is expected to be scheduled soon in Superior Court in Mount Holly, according to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw.
Neighbors and family are left shaken — wondering how a man could turn on his own blood in such a violent way.
