Jury convicts man on all counts in woman's murder, body desecration
BRIDGETON – A Vineland man is facing a life sentence in a state prison for murdering a local woman at his home in 2018, dumping her dismembered corpse in a rural area of Cumberland County, and setting her remains on fire.
The county Prosecutor’s Office said the trial of 56-year-old Dennis K. Parrish ended Monday with jurors returning guilty verdicts on all six counts against him including first-degree murder. His trial had started May 18 in Cumberland County Superior Court.
County First Assistant Prosecutor Harold B. Shapiro said jurors also found Parrish guilty of two counts of second-degree desecration of human remains, and of single counts of third-degree hindering, fourth-degree obstruction of justice, and fourth-degree tampering with evidence.
The victim was 32-year-old Tonya Cook, also of Vineland. Her remains were found on July 2, 2018 in the Cedarville section of Lawrence Township, a 22-mile drive from Vineland.
Investigators initially linked the victim to Parrish through a partially burnt cardboard box found at the body dumping site. An affidavit filed at that time stated a sticker on the box indicated the container had been delivered to Parrish’s residence on the 800 block of West Arbor Avenue.
According to Shapiro, Parrish may be sentenced on the murder charge to life in prison with a provision that he would not be eligible for parole for 30 years.
Parrish faces 10-year terms on each of the desecration counts, up to five years for hindering, and up to 18 months on the obstruction and tampering counts.
Trial Judge George H. Gangloff Jr. has set sentencing for Oct. 4.
The case was prosecuted by Shapiro and Trial Chief Lesley Snock.
Parrish was represented by Public Defenders Alexander Varghese and Nathan R. Perry.
New Jersey state troopers arrested Parrish at a hotel in Absecon on July 12, 2018. State police said they found in his hotel room information on plane flights to Illinois and hotels in that state. Parrish has been held in the county jail since he was arrested.
An affidavit from the time of his arrest also stated that Parrish told investigators that he had tortured Cook. A search of his house turned up blood, trash bags, and matchsticks investigators said were connected forensically to the crime. A bloody hatchet also was found.
Shapiro said the victim was dismembered at the defendant’s house. The remains then were taken to a farm field and set on fire, he said.
This article originally appeared on Vineland Daily Journal: 4 years later, jury finds man guilty in murder, dismemberment of woman
