Kyle Crosby, of Mount Laurel, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and hindering apprehension on Tuesday after his wife's body was found dumped in rural Maryland.
MOUNT HOLLY -- The husband of a slain Mount Laurel woman admitted on Tuesday to choking his wife to death on New Years Eve last year and dumping her body in rural Maryland.
Kyle J. Crosby, 29, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and hindering apprehension in Burlington County Superior Court as part of a plea deal, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office announced.
Crosby will be sentenced to a total of 31 years in prison for both charges as part of the deal. He was indicted in April on one count of murder, one count of desecrating human remains, one count of hindering apprehension and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child following his wife's 2014 disappearance.
He admitted in court that he killed 26-year-old Erica Crippin, the mother of their 3-month-old daughter, on Dec. 31, 2014 by choking her to death inside their home and disposing of her body in Sykesville, Md.
Jo Crosby, 67, of Gloucester Township His mother, 68-year-old Jo Crosby of Sicklerville, is charged with helping her son conceal evidence in the case, but the charges against her will be dropped at his sentencing as part of the plea deal. She remains free on $12,500 bail.
Crippen was reported missing by Crosby on Jan. 7 after police were notified no one picked up Crippin's 7-year-old daughter, from a previous relationship, at school. Crosby initially reported he hadn't seen his wife since New Year's Day.
While the search for Crippen continued, police took Crosby into custody on Jan. 12 on the endangering the welfare of a child charge following a traffic stop and foot chase in Bellmawr. He was charged with Crippen's murder the next day.
Crippen's body wasn't found until March 17, when investigators were able to use GPS technology to track where Crosby had traveled and narrowed the search area to rural Old Frederick Road in Carroll County, Md.
Crippen's body was found in a pine grove beneath a pile of branches and tree limbs. She was wrapped in a fleece blanket, a cord was wrapped around her neck, her hands and feet were bound, and duct tape covered her nose and mouth.
Crosby remains in jain in lieu of $1.2 million bail. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 4, 2016 and must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole as part of the state's No Early Release Act.
Michelle Caffrey may be reached at mcaffrey@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ShellyCaffrey. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
