Latest news with #JosephHertgen
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
New Jersey man killed younger brother in 'fit of madness,' bloody eating utensils found at scene, officials say
A New Jersey man was in a 'fit of madness' and experiencing 'terrifying visions' when he allegedly murdered his younger brother, according to new details from the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. An affidavit released Thursday details the day Matthew Hertgen, 31, allegedly killed Joseph Hertgen, 26, with a golf club and knife in a Princeton apartment. Both men are former college soccer players, Matthew Hertgen at Wesleyan University and Joseph Hertgen at the University of Michigan. On Feb. 22, Matthew Hertgen called 911 and reported a fire and a dead body inside his apartment, telling dispatchers his brother had been dead for over half an hour. Princeton Police Department arrived on scene to find Joseph on the dining room floor with signs of blunt force trauma and a 'large laceration to his chest and abdomen which exposed his chest cavity.' His right eyeball was not visible, according to police, who found the presumed murder weapon and bloody utensils nearby Joseph's body. 'Patrol officers observed a cup of what they believed to be blood, along with blood smeared eating utensils and a blood smeared plate on the dining room table…,' the affidavit reads. A cat was also found dead on scene with signs of burns and blunt force injuries. Matthew Hertgen, who had 'abrasions and scratches' on his hands, told police he 'went into a fit of madness.' He was then detained and transported to Princeton Police Headquarters where he declined to speak with detectives. A third brother of the Hertgen family told investigators he had been with Matthew Hertgen earlier that day, describing him as 'extremely distressed, despondent, and experiencing terrifying visions.' Upon dropping Matthew Hertgen off at around 10 p.m., the third brother saw Joseph Hertgen and later texted him to 'contact him immediately if he needed any help,' according to officials. He also reached out to Matthew Hertgen telling him to 'hang in there,' and invited him on a hike the next day. It was just over an hour later that Matthew Hertgen made the 911 call reporting Joseph's death. Matthew Hertgen had suffered from 'severe mental illness' for five years, the third brother told officials. A poem posted to his Facebook months before the murder describes knives, blood and pain. He now faces first-degree murder, third-degree animal cruelty, and several weapons charges. In a hearing at Mercer County Court Thursday afternoon, Matthew Hertgen voluntarily consented to pre-trial detainment. His next court appearance will be on March 24, according to the judge. This article was originally published on
NBC News
06-03-2025
- NBC News
New Jersey man killed younger brother in ‘fit of madness,' bloody eating utensils found at scene, officials say
A New Jersey man was in a 'fit of madness' and experiencing 'terrifying visions' when he allegedly murdered his younger brother, according to new details from the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. An affidavit released Thursday details the day Matthew Hertgen, 31, allegedly killed Joseph Hertgen, 26, with a golf club and knife in a Princeton apartment. Both men are former college soccer players, Matthew Hertgen at Wesleyan University and Joseph Hertgen at the University of Michigan. On Feb. 22, Matthew Hertgen called 911 and reported a fire and a dead body inside his apartment, telling dispatchers his brother had been dead for over half an hour. Princeton Police Department arrived on scene to find Joseph on the dining room floor with signs of blunt force trauma and a 'large laceration to his chest and abdomen which exposed his chest cavity.' His right eyeball was not visible, according to police, who found the presumed murder weapon and bloody utensils nearby Joseph's body. 'Patrol officers observed a cup of what they believed to be blood, along with blood smeared eating utensils and a blood smeared plate on the dining room table…,' the affidavit reads. A cat was also found dead on scene with signs of burns and blunt force injuries. Matthew Hertgen, who had 'abrasions and scratches' on his hands, told police he 'went into a fit of madness.' He was then detained and transported to Princeton Police Headquarters where he declined to speak with detectives. A third brother of the Hertgen family told investigators he had been with Matthew Hertgen earlier that day, describing him as 'extremely distressed, despondent, and experiencing terrifying visions.' Upon dropping Matthew Hertgen off at around 10 p.m., the third brother saw Joseph Hertgen and later texted him to 'contact him immediately if he needed any help,' according to officials. He also reached out to Matthew Hertgen telling him to 'hang in there,' and invited him on a hike the next day. It was just over an hour later that Matthew Hertgen made the 911 call reporting Joseph's death. Matthew Hertgen had suffered from 'severe mental illness' for five years, the third brother told officials. A poem posted to his Facebook months before the murder describes knives, blood and pain. He now faces first-degree murder, third-degree animal cruelty, and several weapons charges. In a hearing at Mercer County Court Thursday afternoon, Matthew Hertgen voluntarily consented to pre-trial detainment. His next court appearance will be on March 24, according to the judge.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-college athlete killed soccer player brother and cat with knife, golf club in Princeton, police say
A former Wesleyan University soccer player is accused of murdering his younger brother, himself a former soccer player at the University of Michigan, in a violent attack near Princeton University over the weekend. Matthew Hertgen, 31, has been charged with first-degree murder, several weapons offenses and one count of third-degree animal cruelty after his 911 call reporting 'a fire and a dead body' led police to discover the bodies of his younger brother and a cat. Princeton Police responded to the call late at night on Saturday at the Michelle Mews Apartments in Princeton, New Jersey, and pronounced Joseph Hertgen, 26, and the cat dead on scene. Joseph Hertgen suffered blunt force trauma and lacerations, presumably caused by a golf club and knife found in his brother's possession. The cause of death has yet to be determined by an autopsy, officials say. An ongoing multi-agency investigation led to the charges, according to officials. 'The complaint alleges that Matthew purposely or knowingly engaged in conduct that led to the death of his younger brother and caused the death of a cat that was located within the residence,' the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said in a release. Months before the alleged murder, Matthew Hertgen posted a poem describing knives, blood and pain to his social media account. 'I can see the knives sharpening./ I can hear the arrows whizzing./ I can feel my heart beating./ But can he?' it reads in part. 'He convulses, and he doesn't stop./ He's lost. He's asleep. He's dead,' the poem continues. Officials confirm the brothers lived in Princeton at the time of the incident. They are originally from Toms River, New Jersey, according to University of Michigan and Wesleyan University soccer rosters. Joseph Hertgen attended the University of Michigan where he was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten soccer player and a three-time U-M Athletic Academic Achievement recipient. He graduated from UMich in 2020 with a Bachelors in Business Administration, and was working as an Analyst at Locust Point Capital at the time of his death, according to Linkedin. Matthew Hertgen could face thirty years to life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, not including the additional charges. He is scheduled to appear in court for a detention hearing on Thursday. An investigation into the murder is ongoing, according to officials. Anyone with information is advised to contact Homicide Task Force Sgt. Will Jett at (609) 331-5010 or Detective Karl Johnston at (609) 439-5248. This article was originally published on
NBC News
25-02-2025
- NBC News
Ex-college athlete killed soccer player brother and cat with knife, golf club in Princeton, police say
A former Wesleyan University soccer player is accused of murdering his younger brother, himself a former soccer player at the University of Michigan, in a violent attack near Princeton University over the weekend. Matthew Hertgen, 31, has been charged with first-degree murder, several weapons offenses and one count of third-degree animal cruelty after his 911 call reporting 'a fire and a dead body' led police to discover the bodies of his younger brother and a cat. Princeton Police responded to the call late at night on Saturday at the Michelle Mews Apartments in Princeton, New Jersey, and pronounced Joseph Hertgen, 26, and the cat dead on scene. Joseph Hertgen suffered blunt force trauma and lacerations, presumably caused by a golf club and knife found in his brother's possession. The cause of death has yet to be determined by an autopsy, officials say. An ongoing multi-agency investigation led to the charges, according to officials. 'The complaint alleges that Matthew purposely or knowingly engaged in conduct that led to the death of his younger brother and caused the death of a cat that was located within the residence,' the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said in a release. Months before the alleged murder, Matthew Hertgen posted a poem describing knives, blood and pain to his social media account. 'I can see the knives sharpening./ I can hear the arrows whizzing./ I can feel my heart beating./ But can he?' it reads in part. 'He convulses, and he doesn't stop./ He's lost. He's asleep. He's dead,' the poem continues. Officials confirm the brothers lived in Princeton at the time of the incident. They are originally from Toms River, New Jersey, according to University of Michigan and Wesleyan University soccer rosters. Joseph Hertgen attended the University of Michigan where he was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten soccer player and a three-time U-M Athletic Academic Achievement recipient. He graduated from UMich in 2020 with a Bachelors in Business Administration, and was working as an Analyst at Locust Point Capital at the time of his death, according to Linkedin. Matthew Hertgen could face thirty years to life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, not including the additional charges. He is scheduled to appear in court for a detention hearing on Thursday. An investigation into the murder is ongoing, according to officials. Anyone with information is advised to contact Homicide Task Force Sgt. Will Jett at (609) 331-5010 or Detective Karl Johnston at (609) 439-5248.
CBS News
24-02-2025
- CBS News
Brother charged, accused of killing former Michigan soccer player in New Jersey
A New Jersey man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his brother, who was a former University of Michigan soccer player. According to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, 31-year-old Matthew Hertgen, from Princeton, also faces third and fourth-degree weapons charges in connection with the possession of a knife and a golf club and third-degree animal cruelty. If convicted, he faces 30 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $200,000 for the murder charge. The victim was identified as 26-year-old Joseph Hertgen, also from Princeton, who played on U of M's men's soccer team from 2016 to 2019. CBS News Detroit reached out to the university for comment, to which a spokesperson directed the request to the soccer program. Prosecutors allege that on Feb. 22, Matthew Hertgen "purposely or knowingly engaged in conduct that led to the death of his younger brother and caused the death of a cat that was located within the residence," according to a news release. At about 11:16 p.m., Princeton police responded to the Michelle Mews Apartments after receiving a 911 call from Matthew Hertgen. Officers found Matthew Hertgen inside the apartment as well as the victim's body, who appeared to have suffered from blunt-force trauma and lacerations. Joseph Hertgen was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause and manner of death are pending results from an autopsy. An investigation is ongoing. According to the U of M's website, Joseph Hertgen attended Toms River North High School in New Jersey before enrolling at Michigan. He played midfield on the soccer team and was a three-time U-M Athletic Academic Achievement and three-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient.
