CAMDEN, N.J. (Court TV) — A New Jersey man was sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing his girlfriend and stuffing her body into a refrigerator, which he then dumped in the woods.
Christopher Blevins sits in court during his sentencing. (Court TV)
Christopher Ryan Blevins pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and disturbing human remains in the death of his girlfriend, Laura Hughes. Hughes’ decomposing body was found in Belleplain State Forest on Dec. 22, 2024, Law & Crime reported.
Blevins’ attorney characterized the defendant’s relationship with Hughes as troubled and said the victim would often become violent while she was intoxicated. On the day of the incident, Blevins’ attorney described Hughes as throwing items around, breaking things and becoming physical with the defendant.
“It was never his intention to engage in seriously harming her, and certainly not killing her,” Blevins’ attorney said. “He never intended to take her life. He loved her.”
Prosecutors said that Blevins strangled the victim to death in Camden before placing her body into a refrigerator he took from his job at a car dealership. He then drove the refrigerator approximately 45 miles to Cape May, where he dumped the appliance in the woods. Hughes’ body wasn’t found for six months.
In a statement to the court, the father of Hughes’ daughters said he felt the plea agreement Blevins reached with prosecutors fell short. “We have been failed by the justice system,” he said. “My kids should never have to worry about someday that their mother’s killer will walk down the same side of the sidewalk.”
Blevins’ parents spoke via Zoom at the hearing, describing their son as a “good person” who “just got caught up in a really bad situation and made some bad choices.”
Blevins was sentenced to 17 years in prison for the aggravated murder and 10 years for disturbing human remains, to be served concurrently. He will be eligible for release after serving 14 years and six months.
