A woman was found guilty Friday of killing her boyfriend by bludgeoning him with a fireplace poker inside the Egg Harbor Township home they shared with their 4-year-old daughter.
Eileen Leone, then-35, called police to the couple's home in the Heathercroft Condominium complex 911 at about 9:30 p.m. June 9, 2006.
Police found Darius Smith, 32, in the living room suffering from head injuries. He was taken to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's City Campus, where he died hours later.
The cause of death was determined to be blunt-force trauma.
Leone claimed in interviews with investigators that an unknown individual or individuals had come into the home and attacked Smith.
An eight-year investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit resulted in a murder indictment Sept. 9, 2014.
She was arrested at her home on the 8000 block of Atlantic Avenue in Margate later that day.
At trial, Atlantic County Assistant Prosecutor David Ruffenach said the couple had been involved in an argument that led to Leone attacking Smith with a fireplace poker.
Investigators found the alleged murder weapon was the only one clean amid the four pokers there. The others were coated in dust.
The poker shattered Smith's skull, resulting in his death.
The jury deliberated about four hours before finding Leone guilty.
"It took 10 years to bring this matter to its proper conclusion," Ruffenach said. "Although we know that nothing can make up for the loss of a family's loved one, we are happy that we could provide some justice and provide some peace for the family of Darius Smith."
