Man gets life term in murder of woman dismembered, burned in Cumberland County

LAWRENCE, N.J. - A man convicted of first-degree murder in the death of a woman whose remains were found dismembered and set on fire at a South Jersey farm four years ago has been sentenced to life in prison.

The Cumberland County prosecutor’s office said 57-year-old Dennis Parrish will be ineligible for parole for more than 63 years following Friday’s first-degree murder sentence in the July 2018 death of 32-year-old Tonya Cook.

Authorities said Parrish killed Cook at his home before dismembering her body and setting her remains on fire in a field in Lawrence Township.

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At trial, the defense argued that someone else murdered the victim.