Ho-Ho-Kus Man Accused of Killing Mother, Indicted by Bergen County Grand Jury
A Bergen County grand jury recently indicted a Ho-Ho-Kus New Jersey man on first degree murder charges for allegedly stabbing his mother to death.
According to authorities, the 24-year-old suspect used a knife to stab his 63-year-old mother during an altercation in September 2014. Prior to fatally stabbing his mother, the suspect allegedly beat her.
Police officers later discovered the victim at her home. Police had been sent to the scene after receiving an aborted 911 emergency call.
The suspect was placed under arrest a short time later. He was charged with murder, as well as unlawful possession of a weapon for allegedly using a knife in the homicide.
While appearing in court, the suspect’s defense attorney previously indicated that his client would be pursuing an insanity defense at trial. According to the suspect’s lawyer, the suspect should not be held legally responsible for his actions on the night of the killing because he was mentally ill and needed to be in a mental health facility.
The suspect was previously a lacrosse star at Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, New Jersey. When he allegedly committing the killing, he was working for ABC-7 as a stagehand and trying to start a successful career in the music industry.
If the suspect is eventually convicted of murder, he would be subject to the most significant penalties in the NJ Criminal Code. N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3 classifies murder as a first degree felony, which ordinarily carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in New Jersey State Prison. However, conviction for criminal homicide can lead to life imprisonment in state prison.
After being indicted by the grand jury, the suspect was transported back to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, New Jersey. He is being held at the facility in lieu of $2 million bail.
The suspect will return to Bergen County Superior Court in August to be arraigned on the homicide charges.
For additional information about this case, access the NJ.com article entitled “Grand Jury Indicts Man Accused of Killing Mother, Report Says.”
