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Anthony Novellino Arrested in Death of Ex-Wife, a NJ Catholic School Teacher

Anthony Novellino and Judith Novellino (Morris County Prosecutors Office) CBS/WCBS/Morris County Prosecutor's Office

SEATTLE (CBS/KIRO) Authorities in Washington State apprehended the New Jersey man wanted for questioning in the stabbing death of his ex-wife Judith Novellino on Thursday.

After a five day manhunt, 63-year-old Anthony Novellino was arrested in Puyallup, southeast of Tacoma.

According to CBS affiliate KIRO, Novellino checked into the Motel Puyallup Wednesday morning, and was arrested there at around 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

U.S. marshals tracked down Anthony Novellino's car, a black 1992 Mazda Miata, to the motel.

Novellino managed to evade police after he was named a person of interest on June 19 in the death of his former wife, an English teacher at Morris Catholic High School.

Judith was found by a family member slain in the Denville, New Jersey home that she shared with her estranged husband. She had been stabbed 80 times.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi said it appears that the woman and her killer were involved in a "violent struggle" and believes the slaying was not "a random murder," reports KIRO.

An autopsy revealed that Judith died from blunt force trauma and that the death has been ruled a homicide.

MORE ON CRIMESIDER:
June 22, 2010 - Catholic School Teacher Murdered; Ex-Husband Sought in N.J. Murder in Home Where Both Still Lived


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