Ocean Casino Resort Murderer Sentenced to Prison

A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to up to 25 years in prison following a murder that took place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in September 2022. He must serve at least 21 years before being considered for parole. 

The Person Responsible

The 35-year-old man who committed the murder was Andrew J. Osborne of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He competed in MMA, and now, he’ll serve at least 21 years in prison. Per the New Jersey No Early Release Act, he must serve at least 85% of his sentence, which is 21 of the 25 years in this case. 

The sentence was rendered last Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, by New Jersey Judge Bernard E. DeLury Jr. 

Details of the Case

The person stabbed and murdered in the case was Brian Wilkinson, a 47-year-old man from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. He and Osborne were in Wilkinson’s Ocean Casno Resort guest room. 

After the incident, Wilkinson was found naked with a wounded head and neck. He was found in the hotel room hours after the incident occurred. According to BreakingAC.com, a t-shirt and underwear were found near the body. No motive was mentioned for the crime. 

What we do know, though, is that hotel surveillance footage caught Osborne wearing some of Wilkinson’s clothes in the elevator after he stabbed him. From there, Osborne and his wife left the hotel to return to Philadelphia in a silver Hyundai Accent hatchback vehicle.

Osborne was arrested three days later and charged with first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Osborne was 7-11-1 in his MMA career, retiring in 2017. 

Who Was Brian Wilkinson?

According to NJ.com, Wilkinson was a bookkeeper who previously worked for a construction company. 

The family released an obituary that stated, “Brian’s death was very tragic and sudden and will be sadly missed by everyone that knew him.”

One of Wilkinson’s acquaintances, Heather L, posted, “Condolences to Brian’s family and friends. I went to school with Brian, and he was truly a good person. He will be missed by many.”