South Jersey Man Gets Jail Time For Strangling Woman In Her Home

A South Jersey man has been sentenced to 30 years in New Jersey state prison for strangling a woman to death inside her home two years ago, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced.

William M. Gennett, 55, of Tabernacle, was previously convicted on one count of murder in the first degree after strangling 45-year-old Shannon O'Rourke in her home on Nassau Road in Lumberton on July 5, 2016, according to authorities. He was also convicted on one count of fourth-degree stalking.

Assistant Prosecutors Bob VanGilst and Courtney O’Brien had requested a life sentence, but Judge Terrence R. Cook, Pr.J.Cr. handed down the 30-year sentence without parole.

Gennett had been accused of tracking O'Rourke's whereabouts without her knowledge using an iPhone app. The two were friends, and prosecutors argued that Gennett killed O'Rourke after she rejected his attempts to establish a romantic relationship with her.

An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined the cause of death to be manual strangulation. Gennett lived in Mount Holly at the time of the murder. He was arrested at his home in Tabernacle on Feb. 8.

The stalking reportedly began on Oct. 1, 2015, according to the Burlington County Times. He is said to have reported that she was drunk driving to police several times, and hacked into social media accounts to alter information. The two went to a bar together the night she died.

“This case exposed the self-centered, evil nature of William Gennett,” Coffina said. “Shannon O’Rourke considered him a trusted friend, and helped him out in many ways, but that wasn’t enough for him. He viciously took her life upon being rejected. Shannon’s death has had a profound impact on her family, and hopefully having her killer behind bars for what likely will be the rest of his life will offer them some comfort.”

The case was investigated by detectives from the Lumberton Township Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office Crime Scene Unit, High-Tech Crimes Unit and Major Crimes Unit. BCPO Det. Andy Mikulski and Lumberton Det. Tom LaRosa, who is now employed by the Prosecutor's Office, were the lead investigators.

The attached image of William M. Gennett was provided by the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.