Why? Russell Heller Milford NJ councilman killed by former Gary Curtis PSE&G worker. Local Republican politician and PSE&G supervisor was shot dead next to his car, gunman found dead with self inflected gun wound hours later. Slaying follows shooting death of Republican Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour.
Just a coincidence? A second New Jersey council member was shot dead in his car Wednesday, exactly a week after the unsolved slaying of Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour.
Russell Heller, 51, was found dead just after 7 a.m. in the Somerset parking lot of PSE&G, the local energy company where the Milford Republican worked.
Franklin Township police identified a former employee, Gary Curtis, 58, as a suspect —with the man found dead in his car from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot circa three-and-a-half hours after the slaying.
The councilman’s murder came exactly a week after Sayreville Councilwoman Dwumfour — also a Republican — was gunned down in her SUV outside her home about 15 miles away. Her murder remains unsolved.
Authorities have not linked the crimes, and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office insisted that Heller’s murder appeared to be ‘an isolated incident.’
Gun violence & political intrigue
‘The investigation remains ongoing to determine motive,’ the prosecutor’s office said, while stressing that ‘Heller was the intended target.’
The local politician shooting’s death led to Gov. Phil Murphy releasing a statement in which he sent ‘thoughts and prayers’ to Heller’s ‘family and friends in the wake of this tragic act of gun violence.’
Milford Mayor Henri Schepens told NJ.com that ‘the Milford Borough Council is deeply saddened by the loss and our hearts go out to his family.’
Heller ‘was so full of life, it’s just unbelievable that he’s gone,’ the mayor said.
No known motive
‘Something like this has never happened in borough history. We are very shaken by this.’
Heller had been a councilman since 2020 in Milford, a borough in Hunterdon County, according to the Franklin Reporter & Advocate. The official had been an employee and a supervisor with PSE&G with over 11 years of service.
PSE&G in a release said it was ‘offering support’ to employees after the ‘tragic and disturbing event.’
Adding, ‘He will be sorely missed by all and our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.’
To date, no known motive for the man’s shooting death was known and if the second shooting of a local NJ Republican was politically motivated.
Of note, PSE&G declined to reference Curtis and how the the man came to no longer be working for the utility company.
