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On Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 10:24 p.m. deputies with the Lunenburg Sheriff’s Office, responded to a call at a residence located on Lunenburg County Road and found a woman “dead on the floor with what appears to be multiple stab wounds and lying in blood,” a release from Lunenburg County Sheriff Arthur Townsend stated.

The resident was Marjureka White-Jennings, age 25 the release stated. The release went on to say, “no homicide charges have been obtained yet against a suspect, but the woman’s boyfriend, Thomas Mantez, age 28, of the same address was at the scene and charged at about 3:30 a.m. with Assault and Battery of a Family Member, Ms. White-Jennings, for an offense that allegedly occurred on Dec. 30. He is being held without bail at Piedmont Regional Jail. He will be advised to his right to counsel on Thursday morning. Townsend said he expects charges will be filed soon for murder.

“The body has been transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Richmond for determination of the exact cause of death. Although the Sheriff’s Office may be notified verbally of a cause of death within days, the official report will likely not be released for months.

“The Sheriff’s Office is the primary investigation unit for the crimes, and the Forensic Evidence Recovery Unit of the Virginia State Police is assisting, having worked throughout the night and the next day recovering evidence.

“The Assault and Battery charge is a Class One Misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail.”

Sheriff Townsend said this incident is still under investigation, and no further comments will be issued while the investigation is active. He encourages anyone with information to call the Sheriff’s Office at (434) 696- 4452 or anonymously at Crimestoppers at (434) 696-3100.