Unheard Voices is saddened to report that Brianna Greenwood, a beloved mother, daughter, sister, our cousin, and so much more to the community, has passed away.

She was 29 years young.

A tragedy that has affected the community

Brianna was tragically attacked with a machete by her ex-boyfriend at an apartment complex in Wall Township, N.J. on Thursday, May 23.

Despite life saving efforts and 18 hours of surgery, Brianna could not overcome the massive injuries she sustained.

The 29-year-old mother of two succumbed to her injuries Thursday, May 30th, at a local hospital.

Authorities alleges Brianna’s ex-boyfriend attacked her with a machete May 23 while one of her children was nearby.

Brianna Greenwood was a vibrant soul

A GoFundMe has been created to raise money for the family and Brianna’s two children.

“Brianna’s untimely departure serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of domestic violence. She, her children, and her family did not deserve to suffer at the hands of such cruelty,” the GoFundMe says.

“A vibrant soul whose life was tragically cut short by a senseless act of violence,” it continued.

Suspect charged for the death of Brianna Greenwood

Authorities have charged Brianna’s ex-boyfriend, Alex J. Williams, 24, with murder and other crimes related to her untimely death.

New Jersey machete attack

On Thursday May 23, around 9:22 a.m., Wall Township Police responded to the parking lot of the Glen Oaks Apartment Complex in Wall. Upon arrival, police found Brianna bloody and badly injured in the parking lot.

According to the affidavit, while EMS members were helping the victim, police found a man who fit the witness’s description sitting on a bench, and asked if he had just gotten into a fight with his girlfriend. He was then identified as Williams and was arrested without incident.

Previous domestic violence

Police say this is not the first domestic violence incident.

On Feb. 24, police were called to the victim’s home, where the victim said Williams had wrecked her home, stolen her phone and stopped her from leaving the residence or calling 911 during the dispute. Police said they saw obvious signs of damage throughout the home and scratches on the victim’s arms and hands.

In that case, Williams was charged with simple assault, criminal mischief, criminal restraint, theft and harassment in that incident, the affidavit said.

Brianna leaves behind her two children, 3 and 8, and a host of relatives and friends.

Edward C Mathews, the New Jersey man who was captured in a viral video in 2021 harassing his Black neighbors and hurling racial epithets, has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Sentenced

In October, Mathews, 47, pled guilty to four counts of bias intimidation and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute.

The charges stem from a July 2021 incident in which viral video showed him repeatedly calling his Black neighbors the N-word and another offensive slur outside a home in Mount Laurel, N.J.

“Our office is committed to combatting bias crimes and sending a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated in our community,” Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said in a statement. “Nobody should have to endure what these victims experienced.”

Mathews had been terrorizing his Black neighbors

Before the viral incident, a neighbor filed a harassment complaint against Mathews with the Mount Laurel Police Department. That same day, police received a report about a man who needed to be removed from the area.

When officers arrived to the scene, they found Mathews “using racial slurs while engaged in a verbal altercation with four residents,” prosecutors said. During a search of Mathews’ home, police found numerous psilocin mushrooms, which are known for their hallucinogenic effect, according to prosecutors.

Bradshaw said Mathews had been terrorizing his Black neighbors long before the viral moment, including a time when he allegedly left a threatening note on one of their vehicles. He was also accused of stalking, smearing feces on his neighbors’ windows and damaging their cars, NBC Philadelphia reported.

According to a report by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Mathews apologized before his sentencing.

“Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future,” he told the judge, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I want to commit to rebuild the community.”

Mathews must serve at least four years before he is eligible for parole, NBC reported.

Meet 6-year-old Declan Lopez, who is now a member of Mensa, which includes the smartest of the smartest with an IQ of 138, that’s Einstein level.

Declan Lopez is a genius

To put this in perspective, the highest average score for people under 64 years of age is 109.

The gifted kindergartener reads on a third or fourth grade level.

She is interested in physics particularly “the force in motion”, Lopez told ABC7.

Lopez goes to school in Dover, New Jersey where she is a shining star.

Her parents started noticing Lopez’s intelligence when she was 18 months old.

“We were on a trip in the airport, and she just started to count in Mandarin,” Declan’s mom Meachel Lopez told ABC7.

Declan’s parents make sure she’s involved in social activities like karate, soccer and music theory. The family is also exploring coding classes.

All in the family

On top of raising an exceptional daughter, there is strong evidence showing Lopez’s little brother Maddox is following in her footsteps.

The Lopez family said they might get a DNA test to see if this level of genius runs in their family.