MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – Taylor Perkins, a 29-year-old resident of Riverton, has been charged today with first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, after allegedly fatally stabbing Michael Jefferies, 36, at the Rodeway Inn on Route 73 in Mount Laurel
. Perkins was arrested in Camden and is being held at the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly pending a detention hearing in Superior Court.
The investigation began this weekend when officers from the Mount Laurel Police Department were called to the hotel just before 10 a.m. for a report of two men fighting.
They found the body of Jefferies on the ground outside of a second-floor room near a stairwell. An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood concluded that Jefferies, of Mount Laurel, died from multiple stab wounds. The motive for the stabbing remains under investigation.
After the incident, Perkins fled on foot to a nearby BMW dealership, where he stole a sport utility vehicle. He later abandoned the SUV in Evesham and stole a truck belonging to an Xfinity worker who was up on a ladder. Perkins was eventually apprehended at a residence on Decatur Street in Camden.
The investigation was conducted by the Mount Laurel Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, with assistance from the Camden County Police Department, the Cherry Hill Police Department, and the Evesham Township Police Department.
The lead investigators are BCPO Detectives Shawn McDonough and Melyssa Alonso, and MLPD Detective Matthew Jankaitis. Perkins will be prosecuted by BCPO Assistant Prosecutor Bob Van Gilst, supervisor of the Major Crimes Unit.
The case will be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for possible indictment.
