On March 7, 2019, police responded to a report of a 21-year-old woman suffering from a gunshot wound sitting in a parked car. Upon arrival, Maribely Lopez was found dead in the driver’s seat with the engine running. The investigation that followed determined the victim was shot the previous night by 25-year-old Marvin A. Coleman Jr. of Willingboro Township.
Further investigation revealed that the defendant had planned to meet with Lopez in front of a house to purchase a used cell phone. However, instead of purchasing the phone, the defendant shot through the partially opened driver’s side window, striking the victim in the head. Autopsy confirmed that the single gunshot was the cause of death.
In March 2023, Marvin Coleman Jr., appeared before the Honorable Gerard H. Breland, J.S.C., and was convicted of First-Degree Felony Murder, First-Degree Murder, First-Degree Robbery, Second-Degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and Second-Degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. On June 9, 2023, the defendant was sentenced to Life in Prison without the chance of parole.
