An Oregon man who drove across the country in a jealous rage to kill his ex-boyfriend’s new partner in Cherry Hill has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the 2024 slaying, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Cristian Custodio-Aquino, 28, of Portland, was charged in the stabbing death of Michael Anthony, a well-liked South Jersey veterinarian.
The 45-year-old’s body was discovered on the front lawn of his Cherry Hill home early on a December morning, prosecutors said.
Anthony had been stabbed in the body, neck, and head. Detectives soon linked the killing to Custodio-Aquino using DNA from a pair of eyeglasses he had left at the scene.
He was arrested in California and has since been incarcerated in a New Jersey correctional facility.
By pleading guilty , Custodio-Aquino is expected to be sentenced to 30 years in state prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Camden County Prosecutors Office.
Grace C. MacAulay, the county prosecutor, called Anthony’s death tragic, saying it had deeply affected the Camden County community.
“This guilty plea represents a significant step toward justice and ensures the defendant will be held accountable for his actions,” she said in a statement.
This is a developing story and will be updated.