DELAWARE TOWNSHIP, NJ (Hunterdon County) – A 33-year-old Newton man was found guilty in a deadly stabbing in Delaware Township, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson announced Friday.
A jury found Brandon E. Petersen guilty of first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and fourth-degree unlawful taking of a means of conveyance.
The jury acquitted Petersen of third-degree witness tampering.
The guilty verdicts follow an approximately three-week long trial before the Honorable Angela F. Borkowski, J.S.C., Robeson said.
On Dec. 6, 2020, at around 9:13 p.m., police responded to a report of a stabbing victim at a residence on Kingwood Stockton Road, Robseon said.
Upon arrival, they discovered that the victim, 38-year-old Michelle Carkhuff, was transported by her friend to a local hospital in Mercer County, where she died. The suspect, later identified as Petersen, had fled the residence prior to officers arriving at the scene, Robeson said.
Following a joint investigation by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware Township Police Department, Petersen was arrested the following morning in Pennsylvania, Robeson said.
The guilty verdict for first-degree murder exposes Petersen to a mandatory state prison term between 30 years and life imprisonment, of which he must serve 30 years before being eligible for parole, Robeson said.
Petersen has been remanded to the Warren County Correctional Center pending sentencing, which is scheduled for July 14, Robeson said.
