Monroe woman found stabbed to death in Perrineville Road home
By Maria Prato, Staff Writer
MONROE A Monroe man charged with murdering his neighbor last week pleaded not guilty during an arraignment hearing in state Superior Court in New Brunswick on Monday.
Warren Burkey, 32, was arrested and charged Saturday with murder, burglary and an attack on a child in connection with the stabbing death of Theresa Wysokowski, 48, of 1654 Perrineville Road. Ms. Wysokowski was found dead Friday morning.
According to a press release from the Middlesex County prosecutor’s office, police were called to her house, where she lived with her husband and two of her children, at 5:43 a.m., after receiving a 911 call. Officers found Ms. Wysokowski’s body in her bedroom and pronounced her dead at the scene at around 6 a.m., according to the release.
Autopsy results revealed Ms. Wysokowski died of multiple stab wounds, the release states.
Investigators determined that Ms. Wysokowski’s husband was not home at the time of her murder and apprehended Mr. Burkey outside of his 1656 Perrineville Road residence 15 minutes after arriving at the scene, said James O’ Neill, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office. Officials said that Mr. Burkey had been renting a room for about a month from Ms. Wysokowski’s mother, who they did not name. He was working at a warehouse in the area,
Police would not comment on the assault charge and said that the children did not require immediate medical, Mr. O’ Neill said.
Mr. Burkey is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick on $3 million bail.
Mr. Burkey’s attorney, public defender Richard Preston, could not be reached for comment.
If found guilty, Mr. Burkey faces a minimum of 30 years in prison on the murder charge, Five to 10 years on the burglary charge and five to 10 years on the assault charge, Mr. O’Neill said.
Monroe’s last murder occurred in 1994 on the Bordentown Turnpike off Route 522, local police said.
The investigation is ongoing and police ask that anyone with information contact investigators at 732-521-0222.