Second Man Arrested In Connection With 2023 Murder Of Township Resident
Police have arrested a second person in the 2023 murder of a 46-year-old township man.
The man, a 44-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y. resident, was arrested on March 12 in Philadelphia, Pa. by Philadelphia police, according to a press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.
A 47-year-old New Brunswick man was arrested on connection with the murder on February 7.
According to police, the victim, Artis Young, was reported missing by his family at about 6:23 p.m. December 30, 2023. The family reported that Young was last seen on December 29.
Township police determined that Young had plans to meet with one of the arrested men on December 29, according to the release.
Earlier on December 30, Young’s body was found in Brooklyn by New York City police, the release said. Township detectives were contacted by NYC police after positive identification was made.
An autopsy conducted by the New York State Regional Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Young’s death was a homicide, the release said.
Following that determination, township detectives started a homicide investigation and were joined in that by detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
The investigation brought authorities to the men arrested, according to the release.
The suspect arrested on March 12 was charged with 1st Degree Murder, 2nd Degree Disturbing or Desecrating Human Remains, 2nd Degree Conspiracy to Disturb or Desecrate Human Remains, 3rd Degree Hindering Prosecution and 3rd Degree Hindering the Prosecution of Another.
The suspect arrested in February was charged with 1st Degree Murder, 2nd Degree Disturbing or Desecrating Human Remains, 2nd Degree Conspiracy to Disturb or Desecrate Human Remains, 3rd Degree Hindering Prosecution and 3rd Degree Hindering the Prosecution of Another.
Participating in the investigation were detectives from the New York Police Department, 75th Precinct, police officers from the Philadelphia Police Department, 24th District and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Newark Field Office – Branchburg RA.
Anyone with information on the investigation is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (908) 231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police Department at (732) 873-5533 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.