Murder conviction upheld for Denville man who stabbed, put pig mask on ex-wife's face

   A state appellate court panel has upheld the murder conviction and 50-year sentence imposed on Anthony F. Novellino, who was found guilty at trial of stabbing his ex-wife 84 times at their Denville home in 2010 and placing a pig mask over her face.

   "Finding no merit in defendant's arguments, which include challenges to the admissibility of evidence regarding the pig mask and the denial of a suppression motion, we affirm," the Appellate Division wrote in an opinion released Thursday.

   Novellino, now 70 and incarcerated at New Jersey State Prison, had claimed in his appeal that prejudicial evidence was presented to a Morris County jury at his murder trial in 2014 and that his 50-year sentence was excessive. The appellate panel rejected all his arguments and found that then-Superior Court Judge Robert Gilson, who now serves on the Appellate Division, made correct evidential rulings.

   The rubber, Halloween-style pig mask found on the victim's face was displayed to the jury despite efforts by Novellino's defense lawyer to keep the grotesque object out of the case.

   "Contrary to defendant's assertions, evidence of the mask inferentially established defendant's identity as the murderer, corroborated defendant's admissions that he stabbed Judith, and supported the credibility of his statements to the police," the appellate division wrote.

   "It also provided proof of defendant's motive, intent and state of mind for the stabbing, and supported the state's theory that defendant knowingly and purposely killed Judith in part because of his anger about her messiness in the household. Further, evidence concerning the mask undermined defendant's theories that he acted in self-defense or by passion and provocation. We are therefore convinced that the premise for defendant's various arguments that the court erred in admitting the evidence - that the mask had little probative value - is wholly contradicted by the record," the court said.

   Novellino didn't testify at his trial but the jury heard about nine hours of statements he made to detectives over the course of days, including his remarks that victim Judith Novellino jabbed at him first with a knife and he defended himself, at their marital home in Denville.

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   Novellino also claimed that he didn't knowingly and voluntarily make admissions to police and they didn't honor his request to speak to an attorney. The appeals court found that police scrupulously honored Novellino's request about speaking to a lawyer, and found that Novellino himself specifically sought to resume talking to police by asking for then-Denville Police Captain Paul Nigro.

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   The jury in 2014 had to deliberate on whether the June 19, 2010 slaying of the 62-year-old Morris Catholic High School librarian and language instructor was a purposeful and knowing murder or a killing that started as self-defense and turned into a passion/provocation manslaughter.

   Novellino was found guilty of murder, hindering apprehension, tampering with evidence, possessing a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawfully possessing a weapon.

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    After 37 years of marriage, Anthony and Judith Novellino were divorced in Morris County on June 8, 2010. Their agreement called for Anthony Novellino to stay in the house and pay his wife for her share, and give her $150,000 from his retirement fund. Judith Novellino had found an apartment but was at the house the day of the murder to retrieve some belongings.

    In his interrogation by police, Novellino claimed that he found Judith in a bathroom, offered her help moving items but she picked a fight and tried to stab him with a knife she happened to have on the bathroom vanity. He said he grabbed the knife away and only recalls stabbing her twice, but an autopsy showed the victim was stabbed 84 times on her neck, face, shoulder, abdomen, breasts and hands.

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   In his statements to police, Novellino claimed that for 15 seconds he "was a different person," and was in the "wrong place, wrong time." 

   He fled to Puyallup, Washington after the murder, where he was tracked down by investigators. Police found in Novellino's motel room in Puyallup a letter that said, in part, "Sorry for everything but it was - wasn't my fault, she jabbed me first."

   Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.