Woman Gets Life For Murdering Upper Makefield Man

UPPER MAKEFIELD, PA — A 35-year-old Bucks County woman has been sentenced to life for killing a man at his Upper Makefield home in 2017.

Jennifer Morrissey, who was a Doylestown resident at the time of her arrest, was found guilty of murdering Michael McNew, 64, at his River Road home on Aug. 6, 2017. She was sentenced Friday to serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Morrissey, who testified in her own defense at trial, chose not to speak in court prior to sentencing, prosecutors said.

McNew and Morrissey had been in a relationship but it had recently soured and McNew was preparing to end his financial support for Morrissey after several years, testimony at the trial revealed.

Prosecutors said Morrissey entered his home following an argument over text message and shot McNew at point-blank range while he slept.

In the text messages obtained by detectives, Morrissey told McNew she was going to "stab ya" and "gut you like I'm field dressing a [expletive] deer."

McNew was found two days after his killing, dead of a single gunshot wound to the face. A medical examiner told the jury McNew had been shot from a distance of no more than one inch.

Morrissey claimed in court she shot McNew unintentionally and as an act of self defense.

“The work that the Upper Makefield Police and the Bucks County Detectives did in investigating this case was inspiring,” said Deputy District Attorney Christopher W. Rees, who prosecuted the case along with Deputy District Attorney Kristin McElroy. “The only thing that could perhaps be considered more inspiring was the strength of Mr. McNew’s family and the verdict the jury returned.”

“Innocent people are no longer innocent because of you, because of your selfish, deliberate decision to kill Michael McNew,” said Judge Raymond F. McHugh, alluding to a written statement from McNew’s son Patrick McNew. “What you have done to yourself you have earned.”