Burlington County authorities reported that charges have been filed against an Evesham Township man following the death of another Evesham resident earlier Saturday.
Officials said Mr. Donovan G. Hollingsworth, 25, of Crest Road in Evesham, has been charged with Murder (First Degree) and two counts of Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Third Degree and Fourth Degree).
He is in custody in the Burlington County Jail, pending a detention hearing soon.
According to the complaint, police were called to the Olympus Apartments on Baker Boulevard in Evesham today at 9:13 a.m. for a report of a possible dog attack on a resident of the complex.
When police arrived, police say they discovered Mr. Thomas Pierson III, 26, of Evesham, deceased in the residence with multiple stab wounds.
The victim’s dog, a Cane Corso named Django, was also deceased with stab wounds on a stairwell landing. Potential charges related to Django’s death await further investigation into the incident.
According to police, an autopsy on Pierson is expected to be performed by the Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday.
The investigation indicates that Hollingsworth and Pierson, who knew each other, got into an altercation in the apartment, leading to Hollingsworth stabbing Pierson and Django. Hollingsworth left the scene and was taken into custody by Evesham Township Police Officers at the Emergency Department at the Virtua Voorhees Hospital, where Hollingsworth went for treatment for minor injuries from the altercation, shortly after noon Saturday.
The investigation has been conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Evesham Township Police Department. The lead investigators are BCPO Detectives Brian Cunningham and Kevin Merrigan, and ETPD Detective Joseph Magnus.
Hollingsworth will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Bob VanGilst, supervisor of the BCPO Major Crimes Unit.
All persons are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.