The daughters of a woman killed by her longtime boyfriend at a Bucks County hotel shared heartbreaking memories of their mother as her killer was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Orenthia Upshur, 52, of Trenton, New Jersey pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and related charges in the 2025, shooting death of his girlfriend, 49-year-old Maisha Coon.
During the emotional sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorney Samantha D’Amore read victim impact statements written by Coon’s two daughters. They remembered their mother as a hardworking woman who often balanced two jobs to support her family, including caring for people in group homes. They also described her vibrant personality, love of fashion and home decorating, and reputation as the “life of the party.”
“The home feels haunted by her absence,” one daughter wrote.
Additional victim impact statements submitted to the judge described the pain and trauma Coon’s death has caused her family and loved ones.
According to court testimony, Coon and Upshur had been in a relationship for three decades and went to the Sleep Inn on Street Road in Bensalem to discuss ongoing relationship problems.
Investigators said Upshur shot Coon multiple times inside their hotel room. During the attack, Coon pleaded for her life as Upshur told her, “It’s all going to end tonight,” investigators said.
“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.”
The homicide investigation began around 5 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2025, when a relative told Pennsylvania State Police that Upshur had admitted to shooting Coon at a Bensalem hotel following an argument.
Using cellphone location data, troopers tracked Coon to the Sleep Inn on Street Road, where they found her dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
Upshur was arrested following a standoff with police in Trenton, where authorities recovered the gun used in the killing.
Upshur was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
