A Trenton man who shot and killed his girlfriendin a Bensalem motel last year then returned to New Jersey where he shot at the victim's daughter will spend the rest of his life in prison.
In a court appearance Oct. 26, Orenthia Upshur, 52, of Trenton, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend, Maisha Coon, 49, also of Trenton.
Common Pleas Court Judge Wallace Bateman Jr. accepted the plea and imposed the mandatory life without parole sentence.
The murder investigation began at about 5 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2025 when a family member of Upshur entered the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Trevose and reported that Upshur told
him he shot Coon.
The family member told police he only knew that Coon was shot in a hotel, but didn't know the name.
Coon’s name was found on a registry at the Sleep Inn & Suites on Street Road, where she was found dead of apparent gunshot wounds. Police did not receive any calls reporting a shooting there.
Bensalem police later learned that 30-minutes before the family member reported the killing, Trenton Police responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired.
They saw Upshur run into a nearby home where he was apprehended after a four-hour standoff.
After he was in police custody in New Jersey, Upshur admitted to killing Coon during a four-hour interview, telling a detective that Coon was pleading for help and that he told her “it’s all going to end tonight.”
Crime and Courts Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Trenton man sentenced in 2025 murder of girlfriend in Bensalem hotel
