NJ 'meth mom' gets life in prison for murder of 17-month-old son

SICKLERVILLE — A South Jersey mother who suffocated her toddler and left his body in her front lawn has been sentenced to life in prison, according to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

Heather Reynolds, 45, of Sicklerville, was sentenced by Judge Gwendolyn Blue on Tuesday to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Reynolds was convicted of murder, endangering the welfare of a child, and methamphetamine possession following a nine-day trial in July.

Axel Reynolds was just 17 months old at the time of his murder on May 10, 2018. He was found dead before noon by Gloucester police on the front lawn of his parents' home.

An autopsy revealed the toddler's death was homicide by asphyxiation, according to prosecutors. Heather Reynolds was accused of killing her son by holding a cleaning wipe over his mouth. A medical examiner found Axel Reynolds had isopropyl alcohol and acetone in his bloodstream.

Text messages showed Heather Reynolds saw her son as an obstacle to her extramarital affair, prosecutors said in court.

“We are grateful to the jury for the time and attention that they gave to this case,” CCPO Homicide Section Chief Peter Gallagher said.

Her husband, Joseph Reynolds, 41, died nearly half a year after their son on Nov. 5, 2018, according to an obituary.

Heather Reynolds will serve life in prison for the murder charge, along with a concurrent eight-year prison term on the charge of endangering the welfare of a child, and a concurrent four-year prison term for methamphetamine possession.

Rick Rickman is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at richard.rickman@townsquaremedia.com

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