A man from Princeton, New Jersey, who was once a standout student in high school is now facing accusations of murdering his brother and a family cat. Court records obtained by local news outlets reveal that the man, identified as Matthew Hertgen, confessed to experiencing a “fit of madness” when police arrived at the scene.
Matthew Hertgen, 31, allegedly killed his 26-year-old brother, Joseph Hertgen, in their Princeton apartment using a knife and a golf club. Additionally, he is charged with animal cruelty in connection to the cat’s death.
Police in Princeton were alerted to the incident on Feb. 22 at approximately 11:16 p.m. when Matthew made a frantic 911 call reporting a fire and the discovery of his deceased brother at the Michelle Mews Apartments complex.
When a dispatcher asked Matthew how his brother was injured, he said, “I’m not gonna go into any more details right now,” a probable cause statement obtained by NJ.com reads.
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.
