Authorities say a witness called 911 after a stabbing inside the Gloucester Township townhouse.
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A 50-year-old man was charged with first-degree murder after police said his wife was stabbed and found dead early Tuesday inside a third-floor bedroom that was on fire.
Jerome Morris is accused of killing 51-year-old Monica Morris at their home on the 100 block of Freedom Way, according to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. The case has drawn attention because officers responded to a stabbing call and then found a fire inside the same home.
Police were called around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday for a reported stabbing at the townhouse. When officers arrived, prosecutors said they found Jerome Morris covered in blood and holding a knife. Officers took him into custody at the scene. Firefighters were then called after Monica Morris was found in a third-floor bedroom that was burning. She was pronounced dead at the home.
Authorities said two other people were inside the residence when the violence happened. One person witnessed the stabbing and called 911, prosecutors said. Officials have not said what led to the attack or how the bedroom fire started. The fire remains part of the investigation, and authorities have not released a final public finding on whether it was set before or after the stabbing.
The home is in a residential section of Gloucester Township in Camden County. Neighbors told local reporters they were stunned by the police and fire response. Roy Ramirez, a neighbor, said Jerome Morris had seemed helpful in the past. “Super nice guy,” Ramirez said, recalling that Morris helped shovel out neighbors after a winter storm.
Jerome Morris was taken to a hospital after his arrest and was expected to be moved to the Camden County Correctional Facility. Court dates and detention details were not immediately released. Prosecutors said the investigation is continuing with Gloucester Township police and county authorities.
The charge marks the first formal step in the criminal case. Authorities will next move through the court process, including detention proceedings and later hearings if the case advances. Investigators are still reviewing the stabbing, the fire and witness accounts from inside the home.
Author note: Last updated April 29, 2026.