Man pleads guilty in deaths of girlfriend, her young son

A man who killed his girlfriend and her young son before their southern New Jersey home was set on fire has pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated manslaughter charges.

Atlantic County prosecutors say 39-year-old Joseph Palmer III entered his pleas Wednesday.

The Egg Harbor City man was found injured outside the residence shortly after the fire was reported in November 2014. The bodies of 38-year-old Michelle Pabst and her 7-year-old son, Gavin Pabst, were found in the home after firefighters extinguished the blaze.

An autopsy determined Michelle Pabst died of multiple sharp and blunt-force injuries, while her son was stabbed multiple times.

Prosecutors will recommend that Palmer get a 30-year sentence for the child's death and a consecutive 25-year term for his girlfriend's death. He'll have to serve more than 51 years before he becomes eligible for parole.

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