Michael Manis, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ man admits suffocating wife, Judith to death with pillow, and blaming fake robbery to disguise murder.
A 71-year-old New Jersey man is accused of killing his wife and then faking a robbery to cover up the woman’s slaying according to officials.
It happened in the Bergen County town of Hasbrouck Heights. The husband, Michael Manis is now in police custody and facing a murder charge.
Police say Manis called 911 on Saturday at around 5 p.m. to report that he had come home to find his wife dead in their home.
Staged home invasion to deflect own culpability
Neighbors said Manis talked to investigators later that evening. But according to the criminal complaint, Manis later confessed to suffocating his wife, Judith Manis, with a pillow on Friday.
The complaint says Manis also staged a home invasion, ransacking the room to make it look like a robbery.
Manis is accused of hiding the victim’s jewelry in a basement ceiling and dumping other valuables in a dumpster behind a 7-Eleven in Wood-Ridge, about a mile from the couple’s home.
The items were recovered following a warrant-authorized search of the house.
Property records indicated the couple living at the address since 1996.
Previous suspension in previous fraud
According to New Jersey State regulatory records, the company formerly run by the defendant out of his home was suspended from participating in all New Jersey Clean Energy Programs in 2014. That suspension came after the company was cited for ‘intentional misconduct’ because the same improperly altered tax clearance forms were submitted to officials a dozen times over.
The slaying led to neighbors who said they were not aware of any issues expressing shock.
‘I was really surprised. I’m surprised anywhere. I mean evil is evil. You know, it’s bad. So, it was unfortunate and sad,’ Tom Garvin told CBS News.
Manis was arrested on Sunday and charged with first-degree murder, second-degree desecrating human remains, hindering apprehension of oneself, and filing a false report to law enforcement.
On Monday, Hasbrouck Heights police were seen canvassing the neighborhood for any additional clues. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office is also investigating.
One neighbor said he already gave detectives the hard drive for his surveillance system.
Police have not released a motive for the alleged killing.
Michael Manis is currently detained in the Bergen County Jail without bond.
