Suspect in murder indicted

FREEHOLD — A borough man is facing the possibility of life behind bars after being indicted last week in connection with the August 2008 murder of a Holmdel man.

On March 18, a Monmouth County grand jury returned an indictment charging Tyrone A. Price, 23, of Eatontown, with first-degree murder for allegedly beating Kevin Martin, 45, of Holmdel, to death in his driveway, a statement released by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities were first made aware of the crime when on Aug. 29, 2008, at approximately 3:50 p.m., officers with the Holmdel Township Police Department were dispatched to a Mulberry Lane residence, according to the release.

After arriving at the scene, officers discovered Martin lying face down on the driveway, bleeding profusely from his head and face, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

Emergency medical personnel were called to the residence, but were unable to revive Martin, who was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy conducted by the Monmouth County medical examiner determined that Martin died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and neck, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

A subsequent joint investigation conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office and Holmdel police disclosed that Price, a former employee of Martin’s electrical contracting business, traveled to Martin’s home on the afternoon of the crime, according to the press release.

A verbal argument ensued between Price and Martin outside the residence, during which Price allegedly struck Martin, knocking him to the ground. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Price allegedly began to repeatedly kick the victim in his face and head as he lay on the ground, resulting in the victim’s death.

Price fled the area, but on Aug. 30, he was apprehended by authorities in Philadelphia and was subsequently extradited to New Jersey, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

Price is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township in lieu of $1 million bail. If convicted of first-degree murder, he faces a minimum custodial sentence of 30 years in prison, during which he would be ineligible for parole, and a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment, prosecutors said.

Price’s next court appearance will be his formal arraignment on the murder charge.

“Kevin Martin was brutally beaten to death as he lay defenseless on the ground in his own driveway,” Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin stated. “The indictment returned by the grand jury charging Price with murder is the first step in the process to hold Price accountable for this violent crime, and to seek justice for the Martin family.”

Valentin credited the cooperative efforts of the Holmdel Township Police Department, the Philadelphia Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office for the swift identification and apprehension of Price.