Death of Jesse Unger followed meeting in AOL chat room
By: John Patten
EAST WINDSOR — George “Chip” Hemenway, 43, of Jeffrey Lane entered a plea of guilty Monday to a charge of aggravated manslaughter in the 1996 death of Hamilton resident Jesse Unger, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
The plea closes an investigation into the killing in East Windsor on Jan. 4, 1996, that drew attention to Internet “chat rooms.” According to police investigators, Mr. Hemenway had met Mr. Unger, then aged 38, in an America Online chat room, then convinced him to come to his home on Jeffrey Lane in East Windsor. He then allegedly shot and killed Mr. Unger with a .22-cal. rifle in the basement of the house after becoming angered over Mr. Unger’s treatment of a juvenile.
According to a press release issued by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Mr. Hemenway then called Michelle Benson, 29, of Trenton and 27-year-old Hightstown resident Timothy Brown to help him with the disposal of Mr. Unger’s body. The release notes Mr. Hemenway had Ms. Benson and Mr. Brown attempt to move Mr. Unger’s body, which had been covered with lime (calcium oxide) and wrapped in a tarp, out of the basement of the house, which they were unable to do.
Afterwards, Ms. Benson contacted police to notify them she had seen a dead body in the house, leading to Mr. Hemenway’s arrest. According to police, Mr. Hemenway made a confession of the crime when questioned during his bail hearing.
Mr. Hemenway’s guilty plea was made in an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Daniel Giaquinto.
“We believe that this plea agreement is the appropriate resolution of the case,” Mr. Giaquinto said. “We have discussed this with Mr. Unger’s family and they concur.”
Mr. Hemenway now faces 15 to 30 years in prison, but Mr. Giaquinto said Assistant Prosecutor Brian McCauley will seek the maximum 30-year penalty when he is sentenced June 30.
Mr. Hemenway had also been charged with tampering with evidence when he attempted to dispose of Mr. Unger’s body and vehicle, and filing a false police report for providing information to police implicating another person.
For their parts in the incident, Mr. Brown and Ms. Benson were charged with tampering with physical evidence. Both entered guilty pleas in an arrangement that included only probation in exchange for their testimony in court. Mr. Brown entered his plea on Dec. 12, 1996 and Ms. Benson entered her plea on Nov. 9, 1996.