A Mount Holly woman who shot and killed her wife during an argument in August 2017 has been sentenced to serve 15 years in state prison.
Laura Bluestein, 31, was convicted in February of first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the killing of Felicia Dormans, her 29-year-old wife. She also was found guilty of tampering with evidence.
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After shooting Dormans in the face inside their apartment, Bluestein bought a shovel and tarp and began digging a grave to conceal Dormans' body, Burlington County prosectors said. The couple had been married for about a year.
Bluestein's father notified police that an incident had occurred in the home. Police found Dorman's body in a bedroom. She was pronounced dead on the scene.
Bluestein admitted to the shooting prior to her conviction, but claimed it was an accident, The Inquirer reported. Her attorney said she intends to appeal her sentence.
Bluestein will have to serve at least 85% of her sentence before being made eligible for parole. Her sentence was handed down Wednesday by Superior Court Judge Terrence R. Cook.
Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina called the killing "the ultimate act of domestic violence" in a statement issued after the sentencing.
"Today, after three years of legal maneuvering to evade responsibility for the senseless killing of the woman she claimed to be 'the love of her life,' Laura Bluestein must finally face the consequences of her malicious and evasive actions," Coffina said.
The Mount Holly Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office conducted the investigation.
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