Belleville New Jersey Homicide AttorneysA Nutley New Jersey man could be subject to murder charges after a Belleville home invasion allegedly resulted in the death of the elderly homeowner.

The crime occurred at the 85-year-old victim’s Belleville residence. According to authorities, the 25-year-old suspect broke into the victim’s home and violently assaulted him.

The 85-year-old victim was transported to University Hospital in Newark, NJ. Two weeks later, he was pronounced dead.

The Essex County Medical Examiner’s Office subsequently performed an autopsy and determined that the victim died due to blunt force trauma sustained in the alleged attack.

Belleville New Jersey police later identified and apprehended the suspect. He was charged with several criminal offenses, including attempted murder, kidnapping, and burglary.

After the victim died and his death was connected to the alleged assault, prosecutors began to look into the possibility of upgraded the attempted murder charges to murder charges.

If the charges are upgraded, the suspect could face severe penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3, murder is a first degree felony. A conviction on first degree murder charges is potentially punishable by a life sentence, with a minimum mandatory sentence of 30 years in New Jersey State Prison.

The Belleville Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Task Force are still actively investigating the case.

To learn more about this case, go to NJ.com article entitled “85-Year-Old Belleville Man Succumbs to Home Invasion Assault Injuries, Authorities Say.”