NJ man admits to brutal murders of ex’s grandma, young brother

WILLINGBORO — A 26-year-old man has admitted to the brutal killings of his ex-girlfriend’s 9-year-old brother and grandmother three years ago, as well as a young man four months earlier.

Terrance J. Matthews, of Willingboro, pleaded guilty in Superior Court on Tuesday to the murders in Willingboro during two separate incidents, Burlington County Acting Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw announced.

Before 1 a.m. on February 18, 2019, Matthews approached two men sitting in a parked car on Millbrook Drive and gunned down 21-year-old Davell Williamson, of Willingboro. A passenger in the car was treated for a gunshot wound to the arm.

Then, on the evening of June 19, 2019, Williams killed 68-year-old Jennifer Vassell and her young grandson, Ishon Mathlin Jr. inside their Eastbrook Lane home.

Both victims were stabbed multiple times and the boy was also drowned in a bathtub, prosecutors said.

Investigators found that earlier that day, Matthews had fought during a phone call with his ex, Krissida Williams.

He attacked and killed her family members and then waited at the house, where he was still a resident, until Williams returned from work.

Matthews then held her against her will overnight, as her dead relatives’ bodies lay nearby.

The next morning, Matthews took Williams to a Wawa on Springside Road, where Williams told an employee that Matthews had killed her family.

Westampton police officers responded to the convenience store, while Willingboro police found the bodies of Vassell and Mathlin at the house — but Matthews took off.

He then Facebook live-streamed part of a high-speed chase with Camden County Police Department, before he ultimately crashed the Toyota Scion he was driving into a pole,

Under a plea deal, Matthews faces 60 years in prison for each homicide when sentenced on July 22.

The terms will run at the same time, though Matthews must serve 85% before becoming eligible for parole.

Erin Vogt is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach her at erin.vogt@townsquaremedia.com

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

25 True Crime Locations: What Do They Look Like Today?

Below, find out where 25 of the most infamous crimes in history took place — and what the locations are used for today. (If they've been left standing.)

New Jersey's license plate designs through the years

New Jersey's new legislative districts for the 2020s

Boundaries for the 40 legislative districts for the Senate and Assembly elections of 2023 through 2029, and perhaps 2031, were approved in a bipartisan vote of the Apportionment Commission on Feb. 18, 2022. The map continues to favor Democrats, though Republicans say it gives them a chance to win the majority.

NJ Diners that are open 24/7

2021 NJ property taxes: See how your town compares

Find your municipality in this alphabetical list to see how its average property tax bill for 2021 compares to others. You can also see how much the average bill changed from 2020. For an interactive map version, click here. And for the full analysis by New Jersey 101.5, read this story.