A New Jersey man accused of killing his brother and tore his eyes apart said he tried to kill him in a prison cell. New York Post.
Matthew Hertgen, 31, tried to hang out at Mercer County Amendment Center hours after he appeared in virtual court in connection with the murder charge he faces the murder of his 26-year-old brother, according to the report.
Hartgen has been accused of murdering his brother Joseph in his family's luxurious Princeton apartment last Saturday, reportedly with a knife and a golf club. Police believe Matthew may have teared his brother's eyes and tried to eat it, a law enforcement source said. New York Post.
Matthew Hertgen on the right is accused of killing his brother Joseph to the left, killing Princeton's cat in an apartment in New Jersey. (University of Michigan/Mercer County Prosecutor/Google Maps)
The Princeton man was accused of killing a former star athlete brother, a golf club cat and a knife near an Ivy League school
He is also charged with animal cruelty after the family cat burns.
Fox News Digital contacted the Mercer County Correction Center for details of reported suicide attempts, but was not immediately responded.
Joseph Hertgen's awakening will take place on Friday, and his funeral will be held today at St. Luke's Roman Catholic Church on the River Toms, according to his obituary.
Family and friends gather after Joseph Hartgen at the Silverton Memorial Funeral Home held on the Toms River, New Jersey on Friday, February 28th, 2025. In the center of the frame is his brother, David Hartgen Jr. On the right is his mother, Debra Hertgen, who returns to the camera. Joseph is allegedly killed by his brother Matthew in Princeton in his apartment on Saturday night. (Fox News Digital's Stephanie Keith)
“He played for many sports teams, loved traveling with friends, and always enjoyed a good game of ping pong and chess,” the obituary reads. “He was a very kind person, he had a love for life, and his smile brightened up every room.”
Princeton police initially answered a 911 call on February 22 at about 11:16pm, reporting a fire and body at the Michelle Muse Apartment complex.
Upon arrival, police determined Matthew Hartgen was the caller of the 911, and at his residence, along with his brother's body, “showed signs of trauma and laceration of blunt force,” the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said in a press release.
Authorities have not yet explained any kind of motives related to Hertgen's murder charge.
Debra Hertgen and son David Hertgen Jr. arrive after Joseph Hertgen in Frida, Toms River, New Jersey. (Fox News Digital's Stephanie Keith)
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Matthew Hartgen shared some intrusive poems on his Facebook profile in September and May 2024.
One friend of Matthew Hertgen of Toms River High School told Fox News Digital that he had “nothing to say” about the former soccer player he studied at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Joseph Hartgen played football on the Toms River before being recruited to the University of Michigan.
Daniel Gotlin of Gotlin & Jaffe in New York told Fox News Digital that the Hartgen Brothers were very smart, but Matthew added that he had “evident” and “mental health issues.”
Gotlin, who is not involved in the Hertgen incident, successfully attempted mental health defense on behalf of a man accused of stabbing his mother in 2014. He believes Matthew's public advocates are taking into account the crazy plea of the 31-year-old suspect.
Family and friends gather to welcome Joseph Hertgen at Silverton Memorial Funeral Home on the Toms River, New Jersey on February 28th. (Fox News Digital's Stephanie Keith)
“There's no doubt he has a plant disorder,” he said. “I don't know what physical evidence they have for him, [prosecutors] There is a good case, you have to look at psychiatric defense. “Gotlin believes it is “the chances of this man seeing the light of day are very unlikely.”
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The defense attorney pointed out the possibility of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia usually appears in men in their late 20s to late 20s.
A new pre-trial hearing was rescheduled on March 6th to allow both prosecutors and defense to have more time to gather information about discoveries or Hertgen's case.
