NJ Mother Found Dead Was Beaten To Death, Showed Chronic Injury Signs, Prosecutors Say

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — An Atlantic City woman was charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter in connection with the death of 34-year-old Christina Burdette, who was found dead inside of a home last weekend, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.

Ceani Barnes, 22, was charged Wednesday night, authorities said. It wasn't immediately clear what her relationship with Burdette was.

Burdette was found dead inside of a Sheridan Avenue home Saturday morning, authorities said. Read more: Homicide Investigation Launched After Woman Found Dead In Atlantic City

Her manner of death was homicide and the cause of death was complications of multiple blunt force trauma injuries with chronic abuse, authorities said.

Burdette's family members described her as a sweet and quiet mother of two.

"She didn't bother anybody. She was mainly about her children," her sister, Nicole Burdette, told Action News.

Her sister said the death was "very sketchy," noting that Burdette had bruises all over her body and her head was wrapped in gauze, according to Action News.

The apartment where Burdette was found belonged to her children's father's relative, the sister told Action News. The father of her two girls, ages three and six, died several years ago.