Two people have been charged with the brutal murder of a Linden NJ woman. Now medical examiners have finished conducting an autopsy and have revealed that the victim likely died of strangulation.
The suspects, a 33-year-old Tinton Falls woman, and a 32-year-old Long Branch NJ man, allegedly plotted to kill the victim and then later carried out the deadly attack. The victim went missing in March, prompting an investigation by local law enforcement.
Police eventually discovered the victim’s body buried behind a shed in the backyard of the male suspect’s residence on Joline Avenue in Long Branch, NJ. The suspects were subsequently placed under arrest and charged with murder.
According to authorities, the two suspects also committed a violent assault against the victim in Linden NJ in 2015. This could prove vital to prosecutors if the homicide case against the suspects heads to trial in Monmouth County Superior Court. That earlier attack, which reportedly included the suspects physically assaulting the victim and shooting her eight times at close range, occurred in November 2015 and nearly resulted in the victim’s death. She survived the assault, only to later be abducted and killed.
The victim resided in Linden New Jersey and was 41 years old at the time of her death.
The female suspect was reportedly a close friend of the victim, with both women belonging to a motorcycle club in Middlesex County. In fact, the victim reportedly went to visit the female suspect just before her disappearance.
The female suspect was not initially viewed as a suspect in the victim’s disappearance. However, she soon came under suspicion after reportedly changing her story about the last time she saw the victim.
The Monmouth County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy that showed that the victim was strangled to death. The report released by the medical examiner’s office said that the victim’s death stemmed from “homicidal violence including ligature strangulation.” This specific finding suggests that the killers probably used a rope or cord to choke the victim to death.
Both suspects in the homicide case are currently being held at the Monmouth County Jail. Their individual bail amounts each exceed $1 million, so the suspects could very well remain behind bars until the charges against them have been resolved.
If convicted of first degree murder, the suspects could be subject to life imprisonment in New Jersey State Prison, with a minimum mandatory term of incarceration of 30 years.
For further information, read the following article: Linden mom allegedly killed by friend, found buried in yard, was strangled