Man Convicted in Brutal Sex Attacks Denied Appeal

Christopher Kornberger will not go free

A New Jersey appeals court has upheld the conviction of a man serving a life sentence for raping and murdering a young mother in Burlington County eight years ago.

“Christopher Kornberger embodied the most horrific type of evil,” Burlington County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi said in a statement. “He was a soulless, sinister monster waiting in the shadows of society to strike at his prey.”

Christopher Kornberger had appealed his conviction for the murder and rape of Krista DeFrancesco as she returned to her Evesham townhouse from a night out with friends. Kornberger was convicted and sentenced in 2008 to life in prison plus 51 years.

The state appellate court ruling published Monday rejected Kornberger's argument that his confession to police was involuntary and that he should have been allowed to withdraw it.

The court also upheld Kornberger's convictions and guilty pleas in several other attempted sexual assaults on women in Camden and Burlington counties.
      
“Nothing can undo the devastation that has occurred,” Bernardi said. “I hope the affirmation of his conviction and sentence bring some degree of comfort to those who have been affected.”
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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