Woman Searched 'Do Gunshot Wounds Hurt' In Old Bridge Murder Case: PD

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — Last Friday, we reported that a Pennsylvania woman was charged with first-degree murder in a fatal shooting in the Bridgepointe condo community in Old Bridge.

Now this week, the Middlesex County Prosecutor has released new details about this alleged crime.

Deborah Brown-Hepworth, 65, was found by her son unresponsive and lying on the floor inside her Hanna Lane condo at around 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17. The man called 911.

Brown-Hepworth had been shot once in the back, said police, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police think, however, she had been fatally shot two days earlier, on Thursday, Sept. 15.

Police charged Elizabeth Jackson, 61, of Yeadon, Pennsylvania with one count of first-degree murder and weapons offenses. She and the victim knew each other well and Jackson had been staying at the victim's house for approximately two weeks, said police. Jackson also owned a handgun.

A search of Jackson's phone showed that in the past two weeks, she had Googled more than 80 searches related to "guns," "gunshot wounds," "can you survive a gunshot to the head" and "do gunshot wounds hurt," according to an affidavit released by the county prosecutor.

Brown-Hepworth's son told police that he had last spoken with his mother over the phone on Wednesday evening, Sept. 14. Both neighbors and Brown-Hepworth's home security camera showed that Jackson was the last person seen entering or exiting the Hanna Lane home the next day, Thursday, Sept. 15.

A search of phone records show that Jackson had also texted her son several times on Sept. 15 and requested he pick her up from Brown-Hepworth's home. Jackson deleted all these text messages to her son that day, said police.

She was also captured on the condo complex's pool security cameras leaving the area in her son's car on Sept. 15.

Jackson was arrested without incident in Pennsylvania last Thursday. Prior: PA Woman Charged With Murder In Death Of Old Bridge Woman

Here is Brown-Hepworth's obituary; her husband died a few months before her.

This murder cases is being investigated by Detective Addie Spinola of the Old Bridge Police Department and Detective Mark Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to call Detective Spinola of the Old Bridge Police Department at (732) 721-5600 X 3181 or Detective Morris of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3927.