$5K Reward Offered In Case Of South Jersey Woman Killed While House Sitting

WOODBURY, NJ — Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward in the case of a 26-year-old South Jersey woman who was killed while house-sitting last month.

The reward — being offered by the City of Woodbury Police Department and the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office — is for anyone who offers information that leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the death of Shawneeq M. Carter, of Camden.

“We are asking the community to come together to assist us in bringing those responsible for this devastating crime to justice,” Woodbury Police Chief Thomas Ryan said. “Woodbury is a close-knit, strong city that will not stand for these types of acts. With the combined efforts of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, the Woodbury Police Department and the great citizens of Woodbury, we will secure justice for Ms. Carter’s family.”

“Our investigator’s efforts to close this case have been tireless,” Gloucester County Prosecutor Sean F. Dalton said. “We will be grateful to anyone in the community who can help them.”

Each agency is contributing $2,500 to the total reward. They are both handling the ongoing investigation.
Carter was killed in a Woodbury home where she had been house-sitting. Police found her body at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, although it was previously reported that her son and a cousin — both five years old — discovered her body a day earlier. However, they didn’t seek help until the following day.

An autopsy by the Gloucester County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma and the manner of death was homicide.

See related: South Jersey Woman Killed While House Sitting: Prosecutor

Anyone with information about the death of Shawneeq M. Carter is asked to contact Det. Patrick Goggin of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-929-1888 or 856-384-5500, or Det. Carl Villone of the Woodbury City Police Department at 609-970-9107 or 856-845-0065.

Information can also be e-mailed anonymously to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us, or by visiting https://mypolicedepartment.org/gloucester-county-prosecutors-office/tipform/.

Tips can also be submitted through the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office myPD smartphone app, which can be downloaded for free at the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.

Photo courtesy of family and friends of Shawneeq M. Carter