A South Brunswick man was found guilty by a jury on March 20 for causing the death of his parents in their township home on Oct. 8, 2008, in the retrial of his convictions that were overturned.
Michael A. Maltese, 29, was found guilty of passion provocation manslaughter by strangling both of his parents to death at their home on Maple Street in the Monmouth Junction Mobile Home Park.
Following an altercation with his father, Michael J. Maltese, 58, Michael A. Maltese strangled his father and then turned on his mother Kathleen Maltese, 53, strangling her to death as well, according to information provided by Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey.
During a trial that began on Feb. 21, Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Christine D’Elia and Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Keith Abrams presented evidence and testimony showing that Maltese purposely killed his parents and then buried their bodies in a shallow grave in Beech Woods Park, in South Brunswick.
He is facing an aggregate prison term of up to 20 years for the death of his parents when he is sentenced in New Brunswick on May 25 by Superior Court Judge Joseph Rea. This term is subject to the No Early Release Act. As such, the defendant will have to serve 85 percent of his prison term before becoming eligible for parole.
Michael A. Maltese was previously found guilty of strangling his parents in November of 2010, but that conviction was overturned by the New Jersey Supreme Court in August of 2015, according to the statement. His convictions on charges of hindering prosecution, theft by unlawful taking, fraudulent use of credit card, tampering with evidence, false swearing, and desecration of human remains were upheld by the Supreme Court.
He has been incarcerated the entire time, according to Andrea Boulton, spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office.