Hank Kalet, The Packet Group
SOUTH BRUNSWICK — A 20-year-old township man has been charged with murder in the death of his parents.
Michael A. Maltese, 20, of 14 Maple St., Monmouth Junction, is accused of killing his parents and burying them in a shallow grave in Beech Woods Park on Beekman Road on Oct. 8.
Mr. Maltese, who had lived with his parents Michael J. and Kathleen Maltese, since August, faces two counts of murder, hindering his own apprehension, theft and unlawful use of his parents’ credit card. He was arrested Oct. 18 after police determined that he had provided false information to police after reporting his parents missing. He was charge in their murder on Saturday.
Also charged was Nicole Taylor, 18, who lived with the Maltese family. She faces two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, theft, unlawful use of the victim’s credit cards and hindering apprehension of another.
Both defendants are being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick. Bail for Mr. Maltese has been set at $2 million and for Ms. Taylor at $1 million.
Police said that the younger Maltese and his sister reported their parents missing on Oct. 17, telling police that they had not seen them since Oct. 10. The South Brunswick Police Department, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey State Missing Person Unit began an investigation.
According to a press release issued by police and the prosecutor’s office, “probable cause was developed that defendant Maltese had provided false information to law enforcement authorities.” He was charged with one count of false swearing and released on his own recognizance.
Further investigation determined that “the victims were murdered by their son Michael in their home during the early morning of Oct. 8,” the release said. Police said autopsies are being conducted by the Middlesex County medical examiner.
Police said that the bodies were taken to Beech Woods Park and “buried in a shallow grave.” The bodies were discovered Saturday morning.
Police said that Mr. Maltese and Ms. Taylor stole the victims’ credit card after the murder.
Police said that the older Maltese, 58, was a self-employed truck driver and that his wife, who was 53, assisted him in his business. The younger Maltese was unemployed and Ms. Taylor worked at the Stop & Shop supermarket on Route 1.
County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan and South Brunswick Police Chief Ray Hayducka commended the work of Prosecutor’s Office Investigator James Mullin and South Brunswick Detective James Ryan, the New Jersey State Police and the FBI.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Mullin at 732-745-4328 or Detective Ryan at 732-239-4646.
