The boyfriend of a woman whose body was found stuffed in a refrigerator in Belleplain State Forest has been charged with her murder, officials said.
Christopher Blevins, 45, was taken into custody on Monday, Jan. 13, in San Diego, California, according to a joint release by Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland and other law enforcement officials.
Blevins, of Gloucester City, Camden County, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Laura Hughes, 50, of Runnemede, Camden County, according to the release.
He had previously been charged with desecration of human remains and hindering apprehension, but he was not in custody when those charges were filed.
Hughes’ body was discovered by a hiker, identified as John Tyrrell of North Cape May, on Dec. 22, 2024, in a refrigerator in a part of the state forest in Dennis Township. Tyrrell, who has not been charged with anything related to Hughes’ disappearance or death, called police and reported finding the body.
An affidavit of probable cause filed on Jan. 3 detailed the tracking of Blevins’ green Dodge RAM pickup truck on July 24 and 25 in Long Beach Township and Sea Isle City. The truck was carrying something in its bed that was described as a “refrigerator-shaped object.”
The refrigerator was covered with a sleeping bag and fastened with blue ratchet straps. The affidavit of probable cause said there was “clear evidence of an effort to hide remains.”
Similar ratchet straps and other evidence, including a firearm and a calendar with dates crossed out leading up to July 24, around which time Hughes disappeared, were found at an apartment shared by Blevins and Hughes. The couple, according to the affidavit, had a history of domestic violence and drug and alcohol abuse.
Court documents revealed that Blevins fled to Mexico, crossing the border at Brownsville, Texas, on Aug. 2. He turned himself in to Mexican authorities on Aug. 27, saying he was involved in a violent incident in New Jersey and might have killed someone in a bar fight. His whereabouts and status between then and Jan. 13 could not be immediately determined.
On Jan. 13, State Police detectives were advised that Blevins had been apprehended in San Diego and was lodged in a correctional facility there. On Jan. 29, he was charged with first-degree murder in Camden County. He remains in a correctional facility in California, pending extradition to New Jersey.
The case was investigated by the State Police Major Crimes Unit – South and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit. According to Sutherland, the agencies involved worked seamlessly together.
“This case underscores the power of collaboration and the determination to bring perpetrators to justice, no matter the obstacles,” he said.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help Hughes’ daughters with funeral expenses. Hughes, who had been living in Virginia with Blevins, had moved to New Jersey to be closer to her daughters.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
