# Princeton murder victim received warning text from other brother hour before slaying

## Princetown preppy murder victim received warning text from other brother hour before slaying

Princeton murder suspect Matthew Hertgen's brother told police he had 'suffered from severe mental illness for the past five years'

The surviving brother of  sent a warning text message to his youngest brother about an hour before he was murdered.

Matthew Hertgen, 31, is  his 26-year-old brother, Joseph Hertgen, in the family's Princeton apartment, allegedly with a knife and golf club. He is also charged with animal cruelty related to the death of a cat.

Matthew's surviving brother allegedly spent time with him hours before the alleged crime on Feb. 22, a Saturday, according to a probable cause statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

The brother apparently told police that Matthew had "suffered from severe mental illness for the past five years."



"**PRINCETON PREPPY MURDER SUSPECT'S PARENTS ARE NO-SHOWS FOR ACCUSED KILLER SON'S COURT APPEARANCE**" ****



Approximately an hour before the murder, the surviving brother told Joseph via text that Matthew was struggling with "his visions" and to contact him if he needed help. Joseph responded, "Will do."

Approximately 45 minutes before Matthew called 911 to report Joseph's dead body, his surviving brother texted him, inviting him to go on a hike the next day.

"Hang in there," Matthew's older brother texted him.

Around 11:16 p.m. on Feb. 22, police responded to a 911 call from Matthew reporting a fire and his brother's dead body at the Michelle Mews Apartments complex.

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When a dispatcher asked Matthew how his brother was injured, he said, "I’m not gonna go into any more details right now," the probable cause statement reads.

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Hertgen appeared in court Thursday morning for a detention hearing, which is typically when evidence is presented by the defense and prosecutors to determine whether a defendant should be held behind bars or released, according to David Gelman, CEO of Gelman Law and a former prosecutor in New Jersey.

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The public defender's office, which is representing Hertgen, told Fox News Digital that its attorneys do not comment on pending cases.

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Joseph Hertgen was pronounced dead at the scene, and his autopsy results are pending. Local and state officials are investigating the 26-year-old's death as a homicide.

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Joseph and Matthew Hertgen were star soccer players in high school and college. They were both athletes at Toms River High School, and Matthew went on to study at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
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