SOMERVILLE BOROUGH, NJ (Somerset County) – A man has been charged in connection with the homicide of Mary Rose Fealey, 27, of Somerville, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.
David C. Shroitman, 27, of Somerville was arrested and charged on Monday, Feb. 5 with first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon, foruth-degree tampering with physical evidence, and third-degree hindering apprehension.
Shroitman was then lodged at the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing, McDonald said.
On Jan. 30, at around 10:20 p.m., police responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting an injured unresponsive female located outside of residential complex on North Bridge Street in Somerville, McDonald said.
Responding officers located Fealey with multiple apparent stab wounds. Officers initiated life-saving measures at the scene along with responding medical personnel. She was pronounced dead at the scene, McDonald said.
Detectives from the Somerville Police Department along with detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Crime Scene Investigations Unit, and Medical Investigators from the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene to conduct the investigation.
A postmortem examination was performed on Feb. 1 by the Medical Examiner’s Office who positively identified the victim and determined the cause of death as multiple stab wounds and ruled the manner of death as homicide, McDonald said.
On Sunday, Feb. 4, investigators obtained a Somerset County Superior Court Ordered Search for Shroitman’s residence, his vehicle and person, McDonald said.
Then shortly after 11:00 p.m. detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office along with Somerville Police Detectives and Somerville Patrol Officers executed the search warrant and located Shroitman who was detained by authorities, McDonald said.
The investigation revealed that Shroitman was known to the victim, McDonald said.
“The investigation is on-going, and further details are not available for release to maintain the integrity of the investigation,” McDonald said.
Anyone with information relating to this investigation to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (908) 231-7100 or the Somerville Police Department at (908) 725-0331 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos.
STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.
