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Mays Landing woman, 78, sentenced to 30 years in killing of domestic partner

Eileen Bright was convicted in September of first-degree murder in the March 2024 death of Gary Johnson, 81, at their Hamilton Township home. A jury rejected her insanity defense.

MAYS LANDING — A 78-year-old Mays Landing woman has been sentenced to 30 years in state prison for the 2024 killing of her domestic partner, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday.

Eileen Bright was sentenced Oct. 27 and will not be eligible for parole during the 30-year term, prosecutors said.

A jury found Bright guilty Sept. 22 of first-degree murder in the death of Gary Johnson, 81, also of Mays Landing, according to the prosecutor's office. She was also convicted of two counts of fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and two counts of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Those convictions were merged with the murder count at sentencing, prosecutors said.

Hamilton Township police were called to a home in the Mays Landing section of the township about 5:39 p.m. March 31, 2024, after a 911 call reporting that a man had died, according to the prosecutor's office. Officers found Johnson dead inside the house with multiple wounds to his head and body, prosecutors said.

Evidence presented at trial showed that Bright used a household statue and a kitchen knife in the killing, according to the prosecutor's office.

Bright had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury rejected that defense in reaching its verdict, prosecutors said.

This brief was drafted by AI from a public agency’s press release and published by The New Jersey Tide. Why we use AI for stories like this one.

Filed underCourtsAtlantic County