FILE 341 / 1 December 2022 / 167 MIN / full

Never Gonna Pig You Up

Denville, New JerseyListen

The town

N ↑Public placePublic placePublic placePublic placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

This is in northwestern New Jersey up there... This is in Morris County, area code 973... the hub of Morris County. about 0:07:01

History, in brief

1690

Researchers say the earliest European settling happened here about 1690.

about 0:07:27

Town note

The early settlers were Dutch and English from Long Island.

about 0:07:37

Town note

Quakers from Philadelphia also settled here.

about 0:08:13
All 10 history facts

1690

Researchers say the earliest European settling happened here about 1690.

about 0:07:27

Town note

The early settlers were Dutch and English from Long Island.

about 0:07:37

Town note

Quakers from Philadelphia also settled here.

about 0:08:13

1715

William Penn and several others began taking surveys and staking out lands in the Denville area around 1715.

about 0:08:31

1730

By 1730 settlers were putting up forges and mills along the Rockaway River.

about 0:08:37

Town note

The name Denville can be traced to a den of wild animals in the swampy regions along the Denbrook and Rockaway River, where the animals lay in the sun on a knoll jutting into the meadows and the local natives hunted them.

about 0:09:08

Town note

That den of wild animals is the basis for the names of both Denville and Denbrook.

about 0:09:25

Town note

Babe Ruth had a summer house in Denville and spent time there.

about 0:09:43

Town note

The oldest Jonas brother lives in Denville.

about 0:10:04

The figures, as told

Religious

60%

Biggest faith: Catholic share, 42.8%

about 0:18:42

Who lives here

White 81.7% · Black 2% · Asian 8.3% · Hispanic 6.6%

Ethnicity can overlap race.

Crime / national average

Property crime
▼ about half

about 0:25:41

Violent crime
▼ about one third

about 0:25:51

Money

Median home value$439,600
Two-bedroom rent$1,926 a month
Median household income$105,135 a year
Cost of living$128

For sale

$650,000

Three-bedroom, two-bath house in southwestern style

about 0:22:22
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2022

Property crime

"about half"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2022 about 0:25:41

Violent crime

"about one third"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2022 about 0:25:51

Population

"16,362"

Comparison: "pretty small town". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:18:06

Female share

"52.5%"

Comparison: "more female". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:18:11

Median age

"44"

Comparison: "a little bit higher". Direction: above.

As told in 2022 about 0:18:14

Married share

"62%"

Comparison: "lower divorce rate, fewer single people with children". Direction: below.

As told in 2022 about 0:18:20

White share

"81.7%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:18:30

Asian share

"8.3%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:18:30

Hispanic share

"6.6%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:18:30

Democratic vote in Morris County

"51.1%"

Comparison: "last election". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:19:28

Republican vote in Morris County

"46.9%"

Comparison: "last election". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:19:28

Independent vote in Morris County

"2.0%"

Comparison: "last election". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:19:28

Religious share

"60%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:18:42

Catholic share

"42.8%"

Comparison: "nearly 43% of residents". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:18:42

Jewish share

"1.6%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:19:01

Median household income

"$105,135 a year"

Comparison: "almost twice the national average". Direction: above.

As told in 2022 about 0:19:46

Cost of living index

"$128"

Comparison: "normally $100". Direction: above.

As told in 2022 about 0:20:06

Median home cost

"$439,600"

Comparison: "a little on the pricey side". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:20:09

Average two-bedroom rental

"$1,926 a month"

Comparison: "compared to New York City, that is not bad". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:20:38

Three-bedroom, two-bath house

"$389,000"

Comparison: "about 1,500 square feet". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:21:25

Three-bedroom, two-bath house in southwestern style

"$650,000"

Comparison: "maybe 2,000 square feet". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:22:22

Eight-bedroom, nine-bath house

"$1,324,900"

Comparison: "6,411 square feet". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:23:02

Novolino's estimated net worth

"$800,000"

Comparison: "Judith's estimate in the divorce papers". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:50:15

House at Cliffside Trail sale price

"$300,000"

Comparison: "sold in 2011, a year after the murder". No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 2:32:30

Estimated worth of Cliffside Trail

"$361,500"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 2:32:32

The reviews

3.8 / 5 · average of 6

5 stars

“A wonderful, caring community with an amazing downtown of shops and eateries, residents who support each other and many activities for young and old; it has easy access to major highways and a train station, and in truth it has it all.”
about 0:10:39

5 stars

“It never gets too hot or too cold, thunderstorms are never severe enough to cause damage, natural disasters typically do not happen because the town is inland, spring rain is common, summer brings scattered thunderstorms and sun showers, autumn needs jeans and long sleeves, and recent winters have had only minor snowstorms.”
about 0:12:04

4 stars

“People in the area were raised like the reviewer and the reviewer feels able to connect with them.”
about 0:15:46

3 stars

“It has a lot of character, many restaurants, family-owned stores and kid-friendly neighbourhoods, but the downside is the amount of hate, people judging others on income and wealth, and a lot of unwritten and archived crime; overall the physical parts are pleasing.”
about 0:16:09

3 stars

“There are many places for employment: the mall, a nearby hospital, banks and the food industry.”
about 0:17:23

3 stars

“Hurricanes or blizzards happen on occasion, and it is best to prepare ahead of time for flooding and to have shovels.”
about 0:17:54

In New Jersey

Closest episodes

  1. The Disappearing CheerleaderHanover Township, New Jersey · 7 January 20219 km / 6 miShow on map
  2. A Very Unstable GeniusChatham Township, New Jersey · 12 March 202019 km / 12 miShow on map
  3. Bloody Pizza MurdersFranklin, New Jersey · 22 May 202626 km / 16 miShow on map
  4. The Nightmare HouseFair Lawn, New Jersey · 25 November 202132 km / 20 miShow on map
  5. Brutal Murder, Stupid MurdererGarfield, New Jersey · 7 August 202532 km / 20 miShow on map

The story

Denville, New Jersey, is a small township in Morris County, about 55 minutes from New York City, with a population of 16,362. Judith had taught English, French and English as a second language at Morris Catholic High School in Denville for 30 years and also worked as its librarian.

In September 2009 Judith filed for divorce. She estimated his net worth at $800,000. The divorce was contentious. He showed people photographs of the mess, said he would show them in court to humiliate her, and told a neighbour he had an intimate videotape of her that he would use if she did not give him the glass pig figurine from her collection. The settlement gave him the house but required him to pay her $110,000 for her half within 60 days, along with half of several retirement accounts. The divorce was finalised in June 2010.

A few days before the murder he used MapQuest to print directions to Washington state, where he had been in an online relationship since 2002 with a recently divorced woman named Luanne Spencer.

At 9 a.m. he borrowed a wooden chair from a friend in Denville. At 9:37 a.m. Judith telephoned a close friend from Cliffside Trail and said she had arrived to collect a few more items and this should be the last load. He said he had been going to put it on Judy's grave, but it was too pretty. Between 9:45 and 10 a.m. neighbours heard a woman scream and thought it came from the Novolino home.

At 12:39 p.m. he called Spencer again, said his wife was at his house acting crazy, and asked for her address so he could mail her cards and money.

At about 7 p.m. a neighbour, Lynn Dexter, was barbecuing when she saw Christina Novolino walking in the street in a daze and crying, saying to herself, I told her to wait for me, why didn't she wait for me. Christina had gone to the house after work to help her mother pack. She could not find her downstairs, went upstairs, and found Judith in the bathroom between the toilet and the tub. There was blood on the floor and walls. Judith had been stabbed 84 times: five wounds to the face, 11 to the neck, 19 to the right shoulder, three to each breast, four to the chest, 13 to the abdomen, 15 to the hands and seven to the back. Some wounds were eight to ten inches deep. A rubber pig mask had been laid over her face, aligned with her eyes and mouth, and it had no blood on it. Police found a large wood-handled knife and a smaller knife in a cluttered alcove under the stairs. The eight-inch knife had Judith's blood on it. The medical examiner gave the cause of death as multiple sharp force injuries and the manner as homicide.

They learned of Luanne Spencer, contacted her, and found that he had called her from the road. He bought a lottery ticket in North Platte, Nebraska, on 20 June, and stayed in a motel there. A call on 21 June was traced to Wendover, Utah, and a call on 24 June to a 7-Eleven in Puyallup, Washington. At about 6:30 p.m. on 24 June US Marshals found him naked on the bed of room 230 in a $54-a-night motel in Puyallup. He had $3,738 left of the $5,000 he had taken, cuts on his right palm, bruised and swollen knuckles and a bruise on his left armpit. Bloodstains were found in the Miata. In the room was a note: sorry for everything, but it wasn't my fault. She jabbed me first.

He was driven back to New Jersey, and on 29 June he asked to speak to Denville police captain Paul Nigro. Detectives read him his rights and recorded two statements, on 29 June and 1 July. He said Judith had a knife, that she jabbed at him, that he cut his hand taking it from her and hit her twice, but that he did not stab her 84 times and that someone else must have come in. He said the whole thing took 15 seconds. He admitted washing the knife and his hands, throwing the knife under the stairwell, throwing the pig mask into the bathroom, and driving to Washington. He denied placing the mask on her face, saying he had merely tossed it and it landed there. He also admitted sending photographs of the messy house to Judith's family to embarrass her.

The appellate court found that the pig mask was properly admitted because it showed identity, intent, motive and state of mind, and that the police had honoured his request for a lawyer and that he himself had asked to resume talking.

The house at Cliffside Trail sold in 2011 for $300,000; it was later estimated to be worth $361,500.

The case

Murder of Judith Novolino

Victims

Judith Novolino (62). A year younger than ; a teacher for 30 years at Morris Catholic High School in Denville, where she taught English, French and English as a second language and worked as librarian.

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 1 December 2022.

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Christina Novolino. Their daughter; she went to the house after work and found her mother's body.
Luanne Spencer. A recently divorced woman in Washington state whom met online in 2002 and was driving to see; she cooperated with police.
Frank Castora. longtime friend and neighbour.
Karen Castora. Frank Castora's wife, who said was angry about the divorce.
Lynn Dexter. Neighbour who called the mayor of Cliffside Trail and saw Christina in the street after the murder.
Vlatza Papasil. Neighbour of the Novolinos.
Alan Wilson. Diner owner who said had bothered his customers without buying anything and called him an angry little man.
Joe Fornarodo. Friend who said helped in his yard and installed windows in his pigeon coop.
Tony. Friend who gave his first pigeons in the early 1990s.
Michael Prieroni. defence attorney.
Stephen Herzog. Officer who testified about the knife found under the stairway.
Richard Sokirka. Spokesman for the church, who called Judith's death a terrible tragedy.

The timeline

  1. 1969 Novolino and Judith marry.about 1:00:33
  2. 2002 meets Luanne Spencer in an online chat room for divorced people over 50.about 1:33:10
  3. 2007 loses his production supervisor job in the economic collapse and becomes a security guard at $10 an hour.about 0:34:08
  4. 2009 , 62, works as a security guard at United Jewish Communities of Metro West New Jersey in Whippany. (United Jewish Communities of Metro West New Jersey)about 0:28:00
  5. September 2009 Judith files for divorce, accusing of threatening to dissipate hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets.about 0:49:55
  6. after September 2009 Judith rents her own apartment in Parsippany and returns to the Denville house when is at work to collect her belongings. (Judith Novolino's apartment)about 0:50:24
  7. June 8, 2010 The divorce is finalised by a property settlement.about 0:58:18
  8. June 12, 2010 leaves a sarcastic note at his father's house thanking him for always taking Judith's side. ( Novolino's father's house)about 1:03:24
  9. a few days before the murder uses MapQuest on his computer to print directions to Washington state.about 1:31:47
  10. June 19, 2010, 6:30 to 8:22 a.m. Surveillance cameras at the Quick Stop on Route 46 in Parsippany show inside the store. (Quick Stop)about 1:10:02
  11. June 19, 2010, 9 a.m. stops at a friend's house in Denville and borrows a wooden chair.about 1:10:22
  12. June 19, 2010, 9:37 a.m. Judith calls a close friend from Cliffside Trail and says she is collecting a few more items. (Novolino house)about 1:10:38
  13. June 19, 2010, between 9:30 and 10 a.m. asks a neighbour to park in her driveway, complains about the divorce and gives her a potted daisy, saying he had been going to put it on Judy's grave but it was too pretty. (Cliffside Trail)about 1:11:02
  14. June 19, 2010, between 9:45 and 10 a.m. Neighbours hear a woman scream and believe it came from the Novolino home. (Novolino house)about 1:12:33
  15. June 19, 2010, later in the day calls Luanne Spencer.about 1:12:44
  16. June 19, 2010, 10:49 a.m. Surveillance video shows Mazda Miata at the toll plaza entering Pennsylvania. (Delaware River toll plaza)about 1:13:34
  17. June 19, 2010, 12:39 p.m. calls Luanne Spencer again, says his wife is at his house acting crazy, and asks for her address to mail cards and money.about 1:14:40
  18. June 19, 2010, about 7 p.m. Lynn Dexter sees Christina Novolino walking in the street in a daze and crying, saying, I told her to wait for me, why didn't she wait for me. (Cliffside Trail)about 1:15:16
  19. June 19, 2010, evening Christina finds Judith's body in the upstairs bathroom, stabbed 84 times with a rubber pig mask laid over her face; police are called. (Upstairs bathroom)about 1:16:13

Places and phrases

N ↑Public placePublic placePublic placePublic placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

United Jewish Communities of Metro West New Jersey

business

about 0:30:01

Heard in this episode