Murderer Receives Three Life Sentences

“House of Horrors” Case

Morgan Fuerstenberg graphic

Jeremy Arrington, 32, received 375 years of imprisonment during his sentencing on April 8 for the murders of two children and a young woman in New Jersey.

The gruesome crime originally took place on Nov. 5, 2016, when the young woman victim, Syasia McBurroughs, 23, came to visit the apartment of the Whitehurst family.

According to NJ.com, Arrington came to the apartment that night planning to attack the family after one of the family members reposted a Facebook post. The post, it was alerting the people in New Jersey that Arrington was wanted for a connection to a shooting and sexual assault. Arrington knew the family for multiple years.

Arrington broke into the apartment with a gun and proceeded to tie the victims up. He began to stab the family members multiple times with knives found in the kitchen. A young girl was able to escape Arrington and call the police while hiding in a closet.

Ariel Little Whitehurst, 7, and Al-Jahon Whitehurst, 11, passed away at the hospital due to stab wounds, and McBurroughs was pronounced dead at the scene due to a gunshot. The other three members of the family, the mother of the two deceased children and the two twin siblings of McBurroughs, were rescued by police.

During the conviction, Judge Ronald Wigler described the case to be a “house of horrors” and that it was the worst case he had ever seen.

According to People.com, “On March 4, Arrington was convicted of 28 counts, including three counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, burglary, criminal restraint, unlawful possession of a handgun, unlawful possession of a knife and possession of a handgun and a knife for an unlawful purpose.”

At the sentencing, victims came and gave emotional statements to the judge and Arrington. “When you tied my daughter up, you tied me up. When you put her in that room, that was me. When you shot her in the head, you shot me,” said the mother of McBurroughs.

Arrington was given the chance to speak to the judge and the victims, he said, “I am sorry, and I hope and pray the situation never happens to you again or no one else. I am sorry.”

Arrington was then sentenced to three consecutive life sentences with the possibility of parole after 281 years have been served at the New Jersey State Prison.

“Justice has been served,” said Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Justin Ebwab. “This defendant is pure evil and clearly deserves all 375 years in New Jersey State Prison.”