Camden County man admits guilt in death of woman found in refrigerator in New Jersey state forest.

A 46-year-old man from Camden County has pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in connection with the death of Laura Hughes, a 50-year-old mother of two. Hughes’s body was discovered in an abandoned refrigerator in Belleplain State Forest, Cape May County, just prior to Christmas in 2023. Christopher R. Blevins faces a sentence of 17 years in state prison following a plea agreement with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. A formal sentencing is scheduled for December 5, according to a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office.

Initially, Blevins was charged with first-degree murder for the fatality of Hughes, who resided in Runnemede. The investigation into her death revealed a series of actions leading up to the grim discovery. Automatic license plate readers captured images of Blevins’s green Dodge Ram pickup truck in late July 2024, transporting a refrigerator-shaped object.

When authorities located the refrigerator, it was found wrapped in a sleeping bag, secured with blue ratchet straps, and covered with a carpet. Investigators conducted a search of the residence Blevins shared with Hughes, where they found similar blue ratchet straps, a firearm, and a calendar marked with an “X” for each day leading up to July 24.

In early August 2024, Blevins traveled to Mexico, entering through Brownsville, Texas. Reports indicate that he surrendered to Mexican authorities later that month, claiming involvement in a violent incident in Runnemede and suggesting he may have killed someone during a bar altercation, which prompted his flight from the United States. Despite the absence of Hughes’s body at the time of his departure, Blevins returned to the U.S. in September 2024 and spent time in Delaware until the end of December.

Blevins faced charges in Cape May County on January 3, 2025, for second-degree desecration of human remains and third-degree hindering apprehension before being apprehended in San Diego, California, shortly thereafter. He was caught when police were investigating illegal beach activities and discovered he had an outstanding homicide warrant from New Jersey.

The case underscores the serious implications of violent crime and the complex legal proceedings that follow. Blevins’s plea agreement and upcoming sentencing reflect the legal system’s path toward justice in this tragic incident.