Crime & Safety
Burlington County Man Strangled Friend To Death: Prosecutor
William M. Gennett, 53, of Tabernacle, was indicted on one count of murder in the first degree and one count of fourth-degree stalking.

A Burlington County man accused of strangling a woman to death in her home last year has been indicted for murder authorities said. William M. Gennett, 53, of Tabernacle, was indicted on one count of murder in the first degree and one count of fourth-degree stalking, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said on Friday. He is accused of strangling 45-year-old Shannon O’Rourke to death inside her Lumberton home on July 5, 2016.
O’Rourke and Gennett were friends, but authorities allege Gennett was using a cell phone app that allowed him to track her whereabouts without her knowledge.
Gennett lived in Mount Holly at the time of the alleged murder. He was arrested on Feb. 8 at his home in Tabernacle, and is being detained in Burlington County Jail. He was indicted on Thursday.
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An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined the cause of death to be manual strangulation.
The attached image of William M. Gennett was provided by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office
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