Antonio Burke Case: Car Wash Shooting, Plea, and Sentence

Antonio Burke, a 38-year-old man from Palmyra, New Jersey, was sentenced on October 10, 2025 to 21 years in prison for fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend, 28-year-old Alicia Stilley, at a Palmyra car wash in April 2022. He had pleaded guilty the month before to first-degree aggravated manslaughter under an agreement that resolved the remaining charges against him.¹

What Happened at the Car Wash

On the evening of April 18, 2022, Stilley was shot at the Hot Wet & Wax self-service car wash on Filmore Avenue in Palmyra. Surveillance video later established that the shooting happened shortly after 7 p.m., though her body was not found until roughly 10:45 p.m., when Palmyra police responded to a call at the car wash.² Officers found Stilley, a Cinnaminson resident, unconscious in a rear parking lot next to her vehicle, which was still running with its headlights on.³

Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined that Stilley died from a gunshot wound to the thorax.⁴ The next morning, a contractor found a grey-and-gold gun on a walkway of the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge.³

A History of Unreported Violence

Burke and Stilley were former romantic partners. The probable cause statement filed with Burke’s arrest cited a family member who told investigators the couple had “a long history of unreported domestic violence incidents” and said Burke had previously threatened Stilley with a gun.³ None of those earlier incidents had been reported to police, and available court records do not mention any restraining orders between the two.

Burke’s Account, His Flight, and His Arrest

On April 19, an investigator asked Burke to come to the Palmyra police station. He said he wanted to speak with an attorney first. In a three-way phone call with investigators that same day, Burke claimed Stilley had been “playing with” his gun and that it fired when he tried to take it from her.³

Burke then left New Jersey. He was arrested one week after the killing, on the morning of April 25, 2022, during a traffic stop in Dallas, Texas.⁵

From Murder Charge to Manslaughter Plea

Prosecutors initially charged Burke with murder, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and endangering an injured victim.⁶ The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office investigated the case with the Palmyra Police Department.⁷

More than three years passed before the case resolved. In September 2025, Burke pleaded guilty to a single count of first-degree aggravated manslaughter under a plea agreement that disposed of the remaining charges.¹ On October 10, 2025, the Honorable Amber J. Gibbs sentenced him to 21 years in prison in Superior Court in Mercer County. Assistant Prosecutor Robert S. Van Gilst handled the case for the state.⁴ Available coverage of the sentencing hearing did not report statements from the judge, prosecutors, or Stilley’s family.

Who Alicia Stilley Was

Alicia M. Stilley was 28 when she was killed. She was the mother of a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Avianna. She lived in Cinnaminson with her grandparents, Joanne and Reese Taylor. Her mother, Wendy Tecklenburg, had died before her; she was survived by her father, William Stilley, and her brother, Alexander. A memorial luncheon was held for her on April 27, 2022 at the Riverton Country Club in Cinnaminson.⁸

1
Patch. Man Sentenced for Killing His Ex-Girlfriend at Cinnaminson Car Wash
2
NBC Philadelphia. Man Sentenced for Shooting, Killing Ex-Girlfriend at Car Wash in Palmyra
3
Burlington County Times. Antonio Burke Charged With Murder in Palmyra Shooting of Alicia Stilley
4
The Trentonian. Former Boyfriend Sentenced in Palmyra Fatal Shooting
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CBS News Philadelphia. Antonio Burke Arrested in Dallas After Allegedly Killing Former Girlfriend at Burlington County Car Wash
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NJ 101.5. Charges: Palmyra NJ Man Shot Former Girlfriend Dead in Parking Lot
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Philadelphia Inquirer. Woman Found Shot Dead at Palmyra Car Wash
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Philly Burbs. Alicia M. Stilley Obituary