NJ man used cell phone app to track friend he later killed, prosecutors say

LUMBERTON — A Tabernacle man has been arrested and charged with strangling his female friend after tracking her movements on her cell phone.

William. M. Gennett, 53, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder for the 2016 death of Shannon O'Rourke, 45. He was also charged with fourth-degree stalking.

Burlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi said the stalking charge came from Gennett using a cell phone app to track O'Rourke without her knowledge. Gennett, he said, was living in Mount Holly at the time of the killing, which occurred in O'Rourke's Lumberton home. Bernardi said there is no known motive at this time.

After being arrested at his home, Gennett suffered a "medical emergency" on his way to the Burlington County Jail and was taken to a local medical facility where he is under 24-hour guard, Bernardi said.

The case was investigated by detectives from the Lumberton Township Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office Crime Scene Unit, High-Tech Crimes Unit and Major Crimes Unit.

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com