The Cumberland County man who stabbed his estranged wife nearly 90 times, killing her in front of their young son just a week before Christmas in 2016, was sentenced Friday to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Jeremiah E. Monell showed no emotion as Superior Court Judge Cristen P. D’Arrigo levied the sentence in the brutal killing of Tara O’Shea-Watson at her Commercial Township home.

O’Shea-Watson’s son, who was 12 at the time of the killing, cried and hugged a family member as a statement he wrote was read to the court.

“She was honest, loyal and protective," he said. "She was an awesome person.”

He spoke of fond memories, including how his mother would wake up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast for her family and say good morning. “I miss hearing those words,” he said.

During the trial that led to Monell’s murder conviction in January, the teen testified about witnessing the crime and crying himself to sleep that night.

“I think you’re right where you belong,” the son told his father Friday, noting that he can no longer hurt O’Shea-Watson or her children.

Loretta Anderson, O’Shea-Watson’s sister, held back tears as she addressed the court.

“How can I have closure when this pain will be with me forever," Anderson said. "You have taken from me a sister and from my mother a child. The worst thing is, you have taken from your own children the most important of all their bonds. You took their mother. You brutally took her life with no remorse.

“I believe that after today, the only real closure is that Tara will no longer live in fear of you. She is at peace.”

Monell remained on the loose for two weeks before he was arrested in Atlantic County for the crime.

Tara O'Shea-Watson was killed in Commercial Township on Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. (Submitted photo)

Prior to his trial, he rejected a plea deal under which he would have faced 30 years to life.

Monell decided not to testify in his own defense.

O’Shea-Watson, 35, had told friends Monell was abusive to her and that she was planning to take her kids and flee to Tennessee, where her mother lives. They were still married but living separately.

Monell allegedly assaulted O’Shea-Watson at her home in April 2016 and she obtained a restraining order against him. He was indicted on a domestic violence charged In August of that year, but the charges were dismissed at O’Shea-Watson’s request.

A restraining order was in place at the time of the killing and Monell had a history of domestic violence, D’Arrigo noted Friday.

Emily O’Shea, the victim’s mother, told the court it was time for Monell to pay for his crimes.

“Thank God you are going where you can never harm another person,” she said. “You’re finally going to answer for all of the evil, lying, cheating, stealing, cruel and abusive things you have done.

“Why couldn’t you just let her and the children go?”

Public defender Nathan Perry said his client regretted his actions.

“I know that he is very contrite,” Perry told the judge. “There’s no way to unring the bell. There’s no way to go back in time. If we could do that, I think that he would have pursued a decidedly different course.”

He also spoke about his client’s need for mental health treatment.

“Emotionally and mentally, there’s some underlying disturbance that needs to receive some treatment and hopefully through time in the state system he’ll be able to receive the benefits of some of that treatment.”

21 Jeremiah Monell sentenced to life in prison for murder of estranged wife, March 15, 2019

Ed Monell, the defendant’s father, addressed the court prior to sentencing and asked for his son’s forgiveness.

“You didn’t aways see a godly example in me as a dad and as a husband,” he said. “Me and mom love you. I failed in a lot of ways and I’m sorry for that.”

Monell nodded to his father.

Prosecutors presented evidence including two blooded knives and blood-stained clothing during the trial. Police investigators offered extensive testimony about evidence found at the scene, including Monell’s bloody palm print on the handle of one of the knives.

Monell was suspicious of his estranged wife, prosecutors said, and witnesses testified that he screamed at her outside of the victim’s trailer in the Laurel Lake community on the night she was killed.

The son testified that he saw his father choking his mother on the living room floor and heard her say, “Let me die in peace.”

Monell then retrieved a knife from the kitchen and repeatedly stabbed the woman. When the child awoke the next morning, he grabbed his younger sister and ran to a neighbor’s house for help.

When asked by the judge if he had anything to say Friday, Monell declined.

“I came here today to be sentenced and I’m ready for that,” he replied. With that, D’Arrigo sentenced Monell to life without parole.

Speaking after the sentencing, Emily O’Shea talked about how she would like to see laws on domestic violence changed.

“I think a second count of domestic assault should be a permanent restraining order and he shouldn’t even have visitation rights,” she said. “That was the loophole that got him what he wanted. If she’d have been in Tennessee, it wouldn’t have happened. He had visitation rights. That was their loophole. It needs to be stopped.”

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.

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