Early the next morning, a neighbor called 911, saying that O'Shea-Watson's son had come to the neighbor's house and told him, "Mom's dead," according to 911 audio obtained by NJ.com.
"She is dead," the neighbor confirmed to the dispatcher.
"My wife just found her on the living room floor," the neighbour said in a steady voice.
"Her ex-husband was over here last night doing brakeline work on her truck."
The man went on to tell the dispatcher that O'Shea-Watson was wrapped in a blanket, so he did not see any blood or signs that she had been injured. The dispatcher then asked him whether it appeared that she had just died in her sleep.
"Yeah," the man replied, hesitantly.
Then, he said paramedics had arrived.
"Oh, my God, she was murdered!" he suddenly called out. "I need a state trooper out here now."
New Jersey State Police troopers responded to the scene and soon started searching for Monell, who led them on a two-week manhunt before he was finally found in a wooded area in Folsom, N.J., according to NJ.com.
The 32-year-old has been charged with murder.
Just a month before Monell was accused of killing O'Shea-Watson, prosecutors had dismissed the burglary and domestic-violence charges relating to an April 2016 incident, in which authorities said Monell broke into O'Shea-Watson's home and assaulted her, according to the Daily Journal.
Monell was indicted on a charge of second-degree burglary and fourth-degree criminal contempt because he was found to be in violation of the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act.
It is unclear why the charges were dismissed.
The Cumberland County prosecutor's office did not give a reason at the time. New Jersey State Police officials said Tuesday they could not comment on an active criminal investigation.
When Monell allegedly went to O'Shea-Watson's home last month, he "did knowingly violate a final restraining order by being at the residence . . . and being involved in a domestic dispute, causing injury to the victim which resulted in her death," according to a complaint cited by NJ.com.
O'Shea-Watson, 35, had taken out a restraining order and filed for divorce, one of her friends told the Press of Atlantic City.
Family members and friends said she wanted to protect herself and her children, two of whom she had with Monell. According to the Press of Atlantic City, her cousin, Bryan Dunn, said "she wasn't going to leave them behind."
"We all told her to run anyway," Morey, her friend, told NJ.com. "To go anyway."
"It was living hell," Jen L. Messeck, another friend, told the website. "He beat her. She was constantly on the run from him. She wanted nothing more than to get out of here."
The friends said O'Shea-Watson wanted to move to Tennessee to be near family, but a judge told her she could not move her children.
A 2013 report from the World Health Organization states that more than one in three women worldwide have been victims of physical or sexual violence - most at the hands of intimate partners. About one in four adults say they were physically abused as children, according to a 2014 report, and one in five women say they were sexually abused as children.
"Such violence contributes to lifelong ill health - particularly for women and children - and early death," according to the report, which was published in 2014 by WHO, the U.N. Development Program and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. "Many leading causes of death such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and HIV/AIDS are the result of victims of violence adopting behaviors such as smoking, alcohol and drug misuse, and unsafe sex in an effort to cope with the psychological impact of violence."
"Violence also places a heavy strain on health and criminal justice systems, social and welfare services and the economic fabric of communities," the report states.
An obituary for O'Shea-Watson said she "is in Heaven now and is no longer afraid."
Monell, who appeared in court this month, is charged with O'Shea-Watson's murder and related weapons offenses, according to NJ.com.
Attorneys for Monell could not immediately be reached to comment.
Since O'Shea-Watson's slaying, her mother, Emily O'Shea, has been speaking out against domestic violence.
"It didn't need to happen," she said during a vigil last month, according to NJ.com.
"People knew what was going on. The police department knew what was going on. The court system knew it was going on. Why? There's no sense in it."
If you're in danger NOW:
• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you.
• Run outside and head for where there are other people.
• Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you.
• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay.
Where to go for help or more information:
• Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz
• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz
• It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz
• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and middle eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584
• Ministry of Justice: www.justice.govt.nz/family-justice/domestic-violence
• National Network of Stopping Violence: www.nnsvs.org.nz
• White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women, focusing this year on sexual violence and the issue of consent. www.whiteribbon.org.nz