Christopher Blevins has been sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the death of his girlfriend, Laura Hughes. The 46-year-old strangled the 50-year-old mother of two before stuffing her body in a refrigerator and transporting it to Belleplain State Forest. Authorities discovered the remains in December 2024.
A New Jersey man faces nearly two decades behind bars for killing his girlfriend and disposing of her body in a remote state forest. Christopher Blevins, 46, was sentenced on Friday to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty in October to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in the death of 50-year-old Laura Hughes. He had originally been charged with first-degree murder, but prosecutors dropped that charge as part of the plea deal.
Hughes, a mother of two daughters, was strangled by Blevins, who then placed her body in a refrigerator and drove it in the bed of his green Dodge Ram pickup truck to Belleplain State Forest on July 24, 2024. The remains were discovered there on December 22, 2024, according to a probable cause affidavit. Authorities noted a history of domestic violence, drug, and alcohol abuse between the couple.
The body was identified through distinctive tattoos—a koi fish on her upper right back and a rose on her left ribs—as well as a yoga mat and necklace found at the scene. State police described the remains as belonging to a Caucasian or Hispanic female approximately 5'1" tall.
Blevins fled the United States on August 2, 2024, crossing into Mexico with his truck, which police said he solely operated. He turned himself in to Mexican authorities on August 27, 2024, reportedly telling them he panicked after a violent incident in New Jersey and mentioning a possible bar fight killing.
In court, Cornel Alston, the father of Hughes' children, addressed Blevins. "Although there is no amount of time that will bring [Hughes] back, you should never be able to walk among the free," Alston said, according to NJ.com. He added, "This death will never be off my children. They will carry this the rest of their lives." Alston's 14-year-old daughter described herself as a "secondary victim of a homicide."
Blevins apologized, stating, "I do not know why it happened. I wish I could do things differently, in that I just left." He expressed regret for the "pain and suffering" caused, claiming he did not mean to kill Hughes.
A GoFundMe page for Hughes' daughters seeks funds for cremation, a memorial tree, and their education amid the grief.