Matthew Hertgen, 31, a man from Princeton, New Jersey, who was a star student in high school, is facing accusations of murdering his brother and a family cat in what is described as a “fit of madness” that occurred last month. This individual is set to make an appearance in court on Monday afternoon.
The charges against Matthew Hertgen include the alleged murder of his 26-year-old brother, Joseph Hertgen, in their Princeton residence, where he purportedly used a knife and a golf club. Additionally, he is accused of animal cruelty in connection to the cat’s demise.
Monday’s court session at Mercer County Superior Court is slated as a pre-indictment conference, a procedural meeting expected to be brief as per the court’s assessment.
Earlier this month, Hertgen consented to pretrial detention, meaning the prosecution didn’t need to show evidence proving why he should be held in jail before his trial.
Matthew Hertgen and his brothers, left. The 31-year-old, right, is accused of killing his younger brother, Joseph.
Joseph and Matthew Hertgen were star soccer players in high school and college. They were both athletes at Toms River High School, and Matthew went on to study at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Joseph Hertgen was recruited to play soccer at the University of Michigan.
“If I was [the] defense attorney, I wouldn’t fight it. I would say, you know what? We think there’s a mental issue,” Gelman said.
The public defender’s office, which is representing Hertgen, told Fox News Digital that its attorneys do not comment on pending cases.
