The cancer-stricken mom of a beloved New Jersey lady stabbed to loss of life greater than a 12 months in the past is fearful she’ll succumb to sickness and die earlier than her daughter’s killer sees justice — because the accused assassin’s trial has confronted months of delay.
“It’s not about me getting an answer. I want to make sure her killer gets what’s deserved,” mentioned Janet Pizzelli, whose 27-year-old daughter Maryrose Fealey was murdered on January 30, 2024.
“My daughter got a death sentence, and I now have to live the rest of my life not seeing my daughter,” she advised The Submit.
Pizzelli, 60, had lately been identified with breast most cancers when Fealey — a Rutgers Enterprise Faculty graduate who walked away from a high-paying federal job to work in dependancy charities — was discovered bloodied and useless outdoors her Somerville condo after being stabbed a horrifying 37 occasions.
Days later, 28-year-old David Shroitman — who went to Somerville Excessive Faculty and faculty with Fealey, however was a whole stranger to her — was arrested after being discovered with a manifesto allegedly explaining his plans for the homicide.
He was additionally allegedly cleansing out his automotive with bleach when police caught up with him, and resembled someone safety cameras caught close to the scene the evening of the killing.
However 14 months because the homicide, Shroitman nonetheless has not gone to trial as his protection argues he’s not psychologically competent, Fealey’s household defined.
“His side had an expert interview him and they said he’s not competent. Then it came back to the prosecutor’s side. They hired somebody who said he is competent,” mentioned Meghan Kelly, a good friend of Pizzelli who had identified Fealey since she was born.
The matter was because of be settled throughout a January listening to, however it was pushed again and is now scheduled for April. After that listening to occurs — if it occurs in any respect — the household might have to attend even longer for an precise trial date.
All of the whereas, Pizzelli’s well being has continued to deteriorate — leaving her more and more fearful she gained’t final for much longer.
Since Fealy’s homicide, Pizzelli has undergone a double mastectomy, spent a month unconscious after an allergic response to chemotherapy, was briefly wheelchair-bound and now can’t get round with out a cane — whereas her most cancers persists.
“It’s not the worst thing that happened last year, but whatever,” Pizzelli mentioned of the most cancers.
She’s fearful that if she dies, her daughter’s killer may stroll away with a lighter sentence.
“We’re trying to avoid further delays and definitely want to avoid any sort of lighter sentence that might be given just due to the amount of time that’s passing,” she mentioned.
Pizzelli and Fealy’s buddies lately began a company, “100 Voices for Maryrose” to maintain her case alive within the minds of the neighborhood within the hope of getting the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Workplace to convey it to trial.
“She put out a lot of light into the world,” mentioned Mary Kelly, the daughter of Meghan Kelly and a lifelong good friend of Fealy who’s heading the group. “I feel like people say that all the time with cases like this, where they’re always like, ‘Oh, they were a great person,’ that’s all you hear. But Mary was actually making great strides to really change people’s lives.”
Pizzelli listed off quite a few cases of her daughter’s selflessness — together with as soon as making a gift of her automotive to a lady escaping an abusive relationship, and likewise taking time away from her profession to personally assist her brother battle dependancy.
And she or he says one of many hardest components about combating most cancers has been having to do it with out Fealy’s assist.
“The last thing she said to me was, ‘Mom, tomorrow’s going to be the most painful day of your life, and then it’ll be better,’” Pizzelli mentioned, recalling how hours earlier than the homicide her daughter stopped by to ease her worries a couple of chemo remedy scheduled for the following day.
“She came over and sat on my lap. And she kissed me and said, ‘I love you. I’ll see you later.’”
