Glassboro man charged in ex-wife’s shooting death

By Darran Simon, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Posted: July 04, 2012

A Glassboro woman fatally shot late Monday had complained last week to police that her ex-husband was stalking and harassing her, authorities said Tuesday.

Charles Sawyer, 58, was charged Tuesday with her murder.

Rita Sawyer, 53, contacted Glassboro police last Wednesday but did not seek a restraining order against Charles Sawyer, who had been divorced from her since 2004, a spokesman for the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office said.

Sawyer recently had been sending his ex-wife text messages, calling her, and showing up at her house and job, authorities said.

After Rita Sawyer filed a report, Glassboro patrol officers were alerted to watch for her ex-husband near her home on Sherwood Lane.

But sometime before 10:20 p.m. Monday, Rita Sawyer was shot in the head. She died at the scene from a single wound, authorities said.

Glassboro police went to the house after receiving a 911 call from inside the residence, the Prosecutor's Office said. No one else was home at the time.

Police arrested Sawyer, also of Glassboro, shortly after midnight near the Pole Tavern Circle in Salem County after a brief foot chase. He was held at the crisis unit at Underwood-Memorial Hospital.

Bail for Sawyer, charged with first-degree murder and weapons offenses, was set by a Superior Court judge at $750,000 cash.

The Sawyers have two adult male children who did not live in the house, according to authorities.

Contact Darran Simon at 856-779-3829 or dsimon@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @darransimon.