The enduring bro of Princeton homicide suspect Matthew Hertgen despatched out a warning textual content to his youngest bro regarding an hour previous to he was killed.
Matthew Hertgen, 31, is charged of killing his 26-year-old bro, Joseph Hertgen, within the members of the family’s Princeton house or apartment, apparently with a blade and golf membership. He is likewise billed with pet viciousness pertaining to the fatality of a feline.
Matthew’s enduring bro apparently hung round with him hours previous to the supposed felony exercise onFeb 22, a Saturday, in response to a possible purpose declaration gotten byFox News Digital
The bro clearly knowledgeable cops that Matthew had “suffered from severe mental illness for the past five years.”
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Matthew Hertgen is charged of killing his younger bro and a feline of their Princeton, N.J., house or apartment. (University of Michigan/ Mercer County district lawyer/ Google Maps)
“He further explained that when he spoke to Matthew earlier that day, Matthew was extremely distressed, despondent, and experiencing terrifying visions,” the document states. “Wanting to help him, [the surviving brother] picked Matthew up at [redacted] at approximately 4:30 p.m. [The surviving brother] and Matthew went to the grocery store and then to [the surviving brother’s] residence … where they remained until approximately 10:00 p.m.”
The bro after that drove Matthew again to his home, the place he noticed Joseph Hertgen, the goal. After a fast dialog, the enduring bro left and went again to his house or apartment.
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Matthew Hertgen exhibits up at his pretrial apprehension listening to at Mercer County Criminal Court on March 6, 2025, in Trenton, N.J. (Stephanie Keith for Fox News Digital)
Approximately an hour previous to the homicide, the enduring bro knowledgeable Joseph by the use of message that Matthew was battling with “his visions” and to name him if he required assist. Joseph reacted, “Will do.”
Approximately 45 minutes previous to Matthew referred to as 911 to report Joseph’s physique, his enduring bro texted him, welcoming him to happen a strolling the next day.
“Hang in there,” Matthew’s older bro texted him.
Around 11:16 p.m. onFeb 22, cops reacted to a 911 phone name from Matthew reporting a hearth and his bro’s physique on the Michelle Mews Apartments sophisticated.
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Matthew Hertgen exhibits up at his pretrial apprehension listening to at Mercer County Criminal Court on March 6, 2025, in Trenton, N.J. (Stephanie Keith for Fox News Digital)
When a dispatcher requested Matthew precisely how his bro was wounded, he acknowledged, “I’m not gonna go into any more details right now,” the potential purpose declaration opinions.
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Police confirmed up and situated Matthew in the home collectively together with his bro’s physique, which had substantial accidents to the top– consisting of a lacking out on eye– along with accidents to Joseph’s higher physique and prime physique. They likewise situated a mug of blood with “blood-smeared” instruments and a plate, the potential purpose document states.
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Joseph and Matthew Hertgen’s secondary faculty yearbook pictures
Investigators moreover discovered a useless feline on a footrest that confirmed up partly melted.
While speaking to Matthew, that clearly had cuts on his arms, he supposedly knowledgeable cops he “went into a fit of madness… maybe like forty minutes ago.”
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Matthew Hertgen is charged of killing his younger bro and a feline of their Princeton, New Jersey, house or apartment. (Facebook)
Hertgen confirmed up in court docket Thursday early morning for a fear listening to, which is normally when proof exists by the safety and district attorneys to determine whether or not an offender should be held behind bars or launched, in response to David Gelman, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER of Gelman Law and a earlier district lawyer in New Jersey.
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However, all through Thursday’s listening to, no proof existed since Hertgen granted pretrial apprehension, suggesting it was not required for the prosecution to disclose proof confirming why he should be saved in jail previous to his take a look at.
None of Hertgen’s relative remained in court docket onThursday He is ready up to return to court docket on March 24.
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Family and shut buddies accumulate for the wake of Joseph Hertgen on the Silverton Memorial Funeral Home onFeb 28, 2025 in Toms River, N.J. (Stephanie Keith for Fox News Digital)
The public protector’s office, which is standing for Hertgen, knowledgeable Fox News Digital that its attorneys don’t talk about pending situations.
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Joseph Hertgen was noticable useless on the scene, and his postmortem examination outcomes are pending. Local and state authorities are trying out the 26-year-old’s fatality as a homicide.
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Joseph and Matthew Hertgen have been celeb soccer players in secondary faculty and college. They have been each skilled athletes at Toms River High School, and Matthew befell to analysis at Wesleyan University inConnecticut Joseph Hertgen was employed to play soccer on the University of Michigan.