Jim Walsh

@jimwalsh_cp

CAMDEN - Leslie Nelson, who killed two law enforcement officers and wounded a third in Haddon Heights in 1995, has lost another bid to get out of prison.

A two-judge panel on Thursday rejected Nelson’s request for an evidentiary hearing on a claim that she had ineffective counsel at sentencing and during a separate appeal. Nelson wanted the hearing in order to pursue postconviction relief, but she was turned down previously by Superior Court Judge Terrence Cook.

Nelson, 58, is serving consecutive life terms for the April 1995 murders of John Norcross, a Haddon Heights police officer, and John McLaughlin, an investigator for the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office. Each term requires Nelson to serve 30 years without parole eligibility.

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She also has a 10-year term, with a five-year bar on parole, for shooting Richard Norcross, another Haddon Heights officer. Richard and John Norcross were brothers.

Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo welcomed Thursday's ruling.

"Justice has been upheld for the McLaughlin and Norcross families," she said.

The officers were shot after Richard Norcross and McLaughlin attempted to execute a search warrant at Nelson's Sylvan Avenue home. John Norcross was killed as he stood outside the house several minutes later. Earlier that same day, officers had noticed ammunition in Nelson's home while investigating claims she had fondled a niece and pointed a shotgun at her.

Nelson, who was arrested after a 14-hour standoff, admitted guilt to the shootings under a 1997 plea bargain.

Her sentences were only resolved after three penalty trials over a 10-year period, however. The first two trials brought death sentences that were reversed by the state Supreme Court.

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In her appeal, Nelson argued her attorney had been ineffective "for failing to argue in favor of a concurrent sentence." Among other points, she also cited the lawyer's failure to object to victim-impact statements from McLaughlin's family and a failure to present reports regarding her mental health.

The appellate court said Nelson had failed to show that her attorney was ineffective or that there was a "reasonable probability" a lawyer's errors had affected the outcome of her proceedings.

Thursday's ruling said Cook's “extensive written opinion” had noted that Nelson was aware she faced consecutive sentences under her plea agreement and that an argument for concurrent sentences would have failed. It also noted Cook had found court rules barred other arguments by Nelson "but addressed their merits nonetheless and found them lacking.”

“We agree,” wrote the two-judge panel.

Jim Walsh: (856) 486-2646; jwalsh@gannettnj.com