NJ mother, son could go free in 1990s double ‘murder’ cold case

FREEHOLD BOROUGH — Despite recommendations from prosecutors, a Monmouth County judge says he plans to not give prison time to a mother and son who had been charged with two murders in the 1990s.

Dolores Morgan, 70, and her son Ted Connors, 51, pleaded guilty to two counts each of hindering last week. Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Chris Swendeman confirmed the pleas, which were first reported by the Asbury Park Press.

It's a massive downgrade from the murder charges that the MCPO filed against the mother and son over four years ago.

Charged with family members' murders

The former Long Branch residents were accused of conspiring to first kill Morgan's daughter and Connors's sister nearly 20 years ago.

Ana Mejia, 25, was found stabbed to death in her Long Branch apartment in December 1994. Her young children, ages 1 and 3, were present while she was stabbed 22 times, authorities said.

Then in May 1995, 51-year-old Nicholas Connors — Morgan's husband and Connors's adoptive father — was shot in the head three times while he was lying on the couch watching television at their family home.

The case went unsolved until a special investigations unit dedicated to cold cases renewed it in 2017. That investigation led to authorities arresting Morgan and Connors in Delray Beach, Florida in January 2020.

Judge says he will spare mother, son prison time

The case against Morgan and Connors went to trial and ended in October 2021 with a deadlocked jury. After the mistrial, prosecutors said they would retry the case.

Thursday's guilty pleas expose the mother and son to a maximum of ten years in prison each but prosecutors said they would recommend four years, the Asbury Park Press reported.

However, Superior Court Judge Joseph Oxley said that unless new evidence came up, he would only sentence them to time already served in Monmouth County Jail of two years and nine days.

Their sentencing hearings are scheduled for April 26.