Ex-Husband of NJ Teacher Stabbed 80 Times in Custody

The ex-husband of a slain New Jersey teacher has been arrested in Washington state on a charge of making terroristic threats.

U.S. marshals took Anthony Novellino, 63, into custody late Thursday night at a motel in the city about 30 miles south of Seattle. He's described as a person of interest in the killing of 62-year-old Judith Novellino and was arrested on a warrant issued out of Boonton Township for allegedly making terroristic threats against his ex-wife's former divorce attorney.

Authorities spent five days tracking down Novellino. He was captured without incident by U.S. Marshals and the Puyallup Police Department after officials found his car at a hotel in the area. He's being held in Pierce County pending extradition.

Judith Novellino was found Saturday at the Denville, N.J., home where they both lived. She had been stabbed more than 80 times, and her daughter discovered her body.

The couple had recently divorced. She was an English teacher at Morris Catholic High School.

An autopsy conducted on Sunday concluded that Judith Novellino "died from blunt force trauma and that the manner of death is homicide.  Over 80 stab wounds were inflicted during what can only be described as a very brutal and violent encounter," Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said.

The homicide investigation is ongoing.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us