A former college soccer star has been charged with killing his younger brother and a pet cat inside a New Jersey apartment complex near the Princeton University campus, according to officials.
Matthew Hertgen is facing a count of first-degree murder and a related weapon possession charge in connection with the death of 26-year-old Joseph Hertgen, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement late Monday. He’s accused of violently bludgeoning his younger sibling with a golf club and attacking him with a knife at the Michelle Mews apartment complex over the weekend.
Police responded to the building off Witherspoon St. on Saturday after the elder Hertgen called 911 to report a fire and a dead body inside one of the units, according to the prosecutor’s office. When officers arrived on the scene around 11:15 p.m., they found Joseph suffering “various injuries including signs of blunt force trauma and lacerations.” He was pronounced dead on the scene, and his autopsy results are pending.
“The complaint alleges that Matthew purposely or knowingly engaged in conduct that led to the death of his younger brother and caused the death of a cat that was located within the residence,” the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Hertgen is also facing a third-degree count animal cruelty.
The siblings, originally from Princeton, were both successful college athletes. After playing for Toms River North High School, Joseph went on to play for the Wesleyan University soccer team in Connecticut. His 31-year-old big brother, meanwhile, played for the University of Michigan, where he was a three-time U-M Athletic Academic Achievement and three-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient.
If convicted, Hertgen faces 30 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $200,000 for the murder charge. His motive remained unclear as of Tuesday.