Orenthia Upshur, 52, of Trenton, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and related charges in the Jan. 15, 2025, shooting death of his longtime girlfriend, Maisha Coon, 49, also of Trenton, at the Sleep Inn on Street Road in Bensalem, the Bucks County District Attorney said.

The couple had been in a relationship for three decades and had gone to the hotel to address ongoing relationship problems, according to testimony presented in Bucks County Court.

During the attack, Coon begged for her life, but Upshur told her, “It’s all going to end tonight,” investigators detailed in court proceedings.

Following his guilty plea on Monday, Bucks County Common Pleas Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr. immediately sentenced Upshur to the mandatory term of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

During the emotional sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorney Samantha D’Amore read victim impact statements written by Coon’s two daughters.

They described their mother as a hardworking woman who often balanced two jobs to support her family, including caring for individuals living in group homes.

Coon was also remembered for her vibrant personality, love of fashion and home decorating, and being the “life of the party.”

“The home feels haunted by her absence,” one daughter wrote.

Additional statements submitted to the judge detailed the pain Coon’s murder had inflicted on her family and loved ones.

“This brutal act of domestic violence robbed Maisha Coon of her life and shattered the lives of those who loved her,” Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said.

“While nothing can reverse this horrific tragedy, today’s life sentence ensures that the defendant will spend the rest of his days behind bars and can never harm another member of our community,” Khan continued.

The investigation began around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, when a relative of Upshur walked into the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Trevose and reported that Upshur had admitted to shooting Coon at a Bensalem hotel, as Daily Voice previously reported.

The relative told investigators that the couple had been arguing and that an argument had been overheard during a phone call around 12:30 a.m.

Using Coon’s cellphone location data, Pennsylvania State Police narrowed their search to several hotels in Bensalem.

Troopers eventually arrived at the Sleep Inn on Street Road, where they learned Coon had rented Room 317.

Inside, they discovered her body on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds.

Bensalem detectives recovered three spent bullet casings from the room, along with evidence that one bullet had traveled through the floor and into an occupied hotel room below.

Meanwhile, Upshur had fled to Trenton, where police responded to reports of gunfire around 4:30 a.m. near Parkside Avenue and Oak Lane.

Officers arriving at the scene heard additional gunshots and spotted an armed man, later identified as Upshur, running into a nearby residence, police said.

More gunfire erupted from inside the home as officers surrounded the property.

Following a standoff lasting several hours, the Mercer County Tactical Response Team entered the residence and took Upshur into custody.

Investigators recovered the firearm used to kill Coon, prosecutors said.

During a subsequent four-hour interview with the New Jersey State Police Crime Suppression Central Unit, Upshur confessed to the murder, according to authorities.

Coon’s death prompted an outpouring of grief from friends in Trenton and beyond, who remembered her as a devoted mother and loyal friend.

One longtime friend recalled how Coon prioritized her children’s education, even driving one of them to Princeton for school.

“She didn’t play about her kids,” the friend wrote in a social media tribute.

Another friend remembered celebrating birthdays together and wrote, “I’m going to honor you for the LOVE you had, the FUN days we shared and the PEACE you craved.”

A Newark native, Coon is survived by her two daughters, Quadira Peterson, 32, of Trenton, New Jersey, and Briasia Williams, 24, of Madison, Wisconsin, who were described as the pride and joy of her life, according to her obituary published by Hughes Funeral Home.

She is also survived by her mother, Donna Coon; her sister and brother-in-law, Chekesha and Odell Duncan; and her brother, Bryant Coon.

Bensalem Police Director of Public Safety William McVey said the department hoped the sentence would bring Coon’s loved ones some measure of peace.

“We are happy that Upshur will not be able to hurt anyone else and our thoughts remain with Maisha’s family and loved ones,” McVey said.

The investigation involved Bensalem Township Police, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Trenton Police, and New Jersey State Police.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Samantha D’Amore.


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