El fiscal del condado de Ocean, Bradley D.. Billhimer anunció que en octubre 2, 2025, Mark J. Austin, 34, del municipio de ladrillo, was found guilty of Murder in connection with the death of his father, Mark Richard Austin, también del municipio de Brick, at his home on September 7, 2019, following a nearly five-week-long jury trial before the Honorable Guy P. ryan, P.J.Cr.P. Al emitir su veredicto, the jury concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that Austin procured the commission of his father’s murder by payment or promise of payment of anything of monetary value – an aggravating factor which requires that Austin be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole eligibility. The jury also found Austin guilty of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. Austin is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Ryan on December 12, 2025.
On Saturday, Septiembre 7, 2019, Officers from the Brick Township Police Department were summoned to a residence on Acorn Drive and discovered the victim’s lifeless body with apparent blunt force trauma. Following a thorough and extensive investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Major Crime Unit, Oficina de detectives del Departamento de Policía de Brick Township, y la Unidad de Investigación de la Escena del Crimen de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Ocean, it was determined that Austin and Jeray Melton 34, of Salem City, had conspired to kill the victim. Mark J. Austin and Jeray Melton were charged accordingly and taken into custody on September 13, 2019, and have been incarcerated since that date.
Subsequent investigation determined that Austin agreed to pay Melton in exchange for killing his father. En octubre 7, 2021, Austin was indicted by a grand jury sitting in Ocean County on the charges of Murder, Posesión de un arma para un fin ilícito, y posesión ilegal de un arma.
En febrero 25, 2020, Melton pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter before Judge Ryan and is pending sentencing.
“Justice was served today. This defendant orchestrated a calculated and cold-blooded plot to take the life of another human being – his own father,”, afirmó el fiscal Billhimer.. “We are grateful to the jury for arriving at the truth and holding Austin accountable for his actions. And we are hopeful this verdict delivers a level of peace and justice to the loved ones of Mark Richard Austin,”, concluyó el fiscal Billhimer..
Prosecutor Billhimer applauds the outstanding efforts of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Mara Brater and Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Meghan O’Neill, quien hábil y hábilmente juzgó el caso en nombre del Estado. El Fiscal también extiende su agradecimiento a la Unidad de Delitos Mayores de la Fiscalía del Condado de Ocean., Equipo contra delitos de alta tecnología de la Oficina del Fiscal del Condado de Ocean, Equipo de Delitos Económicos de la Oficina del Fiscal del Condado de Ocean, Oficina de detectives del Departamento de Policía de Brick Township, Departamento de policía del municipio de Brick, Unidad de Investigación de la Escena del Crimen de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Ocean, Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, Salem City Police Department, Unidad de Delitos Mayores de la Policía Estatal de Nueva Jersey, New Jersey State Police TEAMS Unit, New Jersey Department of Corrections, Port Authority Police of New York and New Jersey, Departamento de policía del municipio de Manchester, Millville Police Department, Bayonne Police Department, y la Oficina Federal de Investigaciones, for their collective and cooperative efforts in connection with this investigation – leading to today’s guilty verdicts.