A Plainfield man who stabbed his girlfriend to death following an argument in 2011 has been sentenced to 60 years in state prison for the crime, acting Union County Prosecutor Michael A. Monahan announced Monday.
Officials say, Anthony James, 57, must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence before the possibility of parole under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, in accordance with the terms set down at sentencing Friday by state Superior Court Judge John M. Deitch.
According to authorities, at approximately 5 p.m. on September 28, 2011, Plainfield Police Division patrol units responding to a 911 call placed by James found the body of 48-year-old Audrey Tanksley in the home they shared on the 300 block of East Seventh Street in Plainfield, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutors Scott Peterson and Alaina Caliendo, who prosecuted the case.
James was arrested at the scene.
Officials say James claimed at trial, among other lines of defense, that Tanksley was actually the aggressor. However, Dr. Zhongxue Hua of the Division of the County Medical Examiner testified that the victim had been stabbed nearly 100 times.
The Prosecutor’s Office would again like to thank the dedicated members of the Union County Homicide Task Force, Union County Sheriff’s Office, and Plainfield Police Division who worked on the investigation, which was led by Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Michael Manochio.
Authorities say James was convicted following a three-week trial before Judge Deitch that concluded in February and approximately 45 minutes of jury deliberation.