Young Mother Murdered In Egg Harbor City

EGG HARBOR CITY (CBS) -- A mother of two was found dead early Sunday at the Harbor City Apartments, there are no suspects in the brutal crime and the victim's fiancé wants justice.

A resident walking to his mailbox saw the body of Deanna Downs, 29, in a courtyard behind her Washington Avenue apartment, police said. Initial thoughts were that Downs was the victim of a gunshot wound.

"She made burgers for everybody, we ate and then took a short nap together," said James Sanders, Downs' fiancé who told Eyewitness News she spent the last night of her life doing what she loved best, just being a mom.


Police say Downs was killed sometime after 10:30 p.m. Saturday night when Sanders left to work the overnight shift at Trump Marina.

"She was here with the kids, she told me that she loved me and that was it," said Sanders.
Someone killed Deanna by means of blunt force, leaving her body in the back courtyard while her two young boys were asleep in their home.

"For someone to heinously do what they did to her is just senseless," Sanders said tearfully that the worst of it is that the mother leaves behind her young children. "(She had) two beautiful boys who are doing excellent in school, student of the month the youngest one, twice in a row."

An autopsy ruled that Downs died of blunt force trauma, but additional forensic tests are being done to determine if the young mother may have also been shot.

Anyone with information on Downs' death is urged to contact authorities at the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office at 609-909-7800, or Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234 or 800-658-8477.