A Pennsylvania man faces several charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, after allegedly breaking into a New Jersey home and killing his child's mother and grandmother earlier this week.
Junior Edwards, 37, of Lansdowne, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, first-degree home invasion burglary armed with a firearm, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.
Prosecutors said the investigation began just after 4 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, after officers from the Willingboro Township Police Department were called to the first block of Harrington Circle in the Hawthorne Park section of Willingboro Township for a report of a burglary in progress.
After entering the residence, prosecutors said officers discovered the bodies of Catherine Nunez, 33, and her mother, Marisol Nunez, 54, in an upstairs bedroom. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
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According to prosecutors, an investigation revealed that entry was made through a first-floor window that had been smashed open by Edwards. A handgun believed to be used in the homicides was discovered outside of the residence.
The investigation further revealed that Edwards and Catherine Nunez shared an 8-year-old son, according to prosecutors. The child was in the home during the shootings but was not injured.
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Autopsies performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined the cause of death for both victims to be multiple gunshot wounds, prosecutors said.
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