NJ man pleads guilty after girlfriend’s remains found in abandoned refrigerator

A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of his girlfriend, whose remains were found inside a refrigerator dumped in a state forest just days before Christmas last year.

Christopher Blevins, 46, was initially indicted on a first-degree murder charge, but he pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser count of aggravated manslaughter, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office told NJ Advance Media. That means he admitted to causing the death, but without the intent or premeditation required for a murder conviction.

Blevins is also facing a charge in Cape May County of desecrating human remains.

Laura Hughes, a 50-year-old mother of two daughters, was found dead on Dec. 22 in the Belleplain State Forest, a wooded area spanning 21,320 acres across northern Cape May and eastern Cumberland counties.

A unique yoga mat and necklace were also recovered at the scene, which helped authorities — along with Hughes’ unique tattoos — identify her remains.

A police recreation of Laura Hughes’ tattoos. (New Jersey State Police / Facebook)

Investigators believe that Hughes was killed long before she was found. They said Blevins back in July transported a refrigerator containing her body, and then dumped it in the forest in Dennis Township. They also noted the remains had been wrapped in a sleeping bag, secured with blue ratchet straps and covered with carpet.

Then, on Aug. 2, Blevins fled to Mexico, crossing the border at Brownsville in Texas, according to an affidavit filed in the case. He ultimately surrendered to law enforcement a few weeks later on Aug. 22.

In subsequent interviews with law enforcement, Blevins said he’d been involved in a “violent incident” in Runnemede, admitting that he may have killed someone.

Blevins went on to return to the United States, living and working in Delaware until the discovery of Hughes’ remains. He then left work during a lunch break but never returned, according to the affidavit.

He was eventually tracked to San Diego, taken into custody and later extradited back to New Jersey.

Blevins is slated to be sentenced on Dec. 5. Prosecutors have said they will request at least 17 years in prison.

https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/10/28/nj-man-pleads-guilty-girlfriend-laura-hughes-remains-found-refrigerator/