A second New Jersey Republican and city councilman has been murdered since last week. Russell Heller, 51, was found dead in his car from apparent gunshot wounds.
The killing comes a week after Sayreville Borough Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfoor was also gunned down in her vehicle.
According to local authorities, police responded to an emergency call early Wednesday that someone had fired shots on the grounds of the PSE&G facility in Franklin Township.
Heller was a senior distribution supervisor at PSE&G for more than a decade and currently serves as a councilman in the Borough of Milford, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
Milford Mayor Henry Scheppens issued a statement after news of Heller’s murder, saying, “Milford Borough Council is deeply saddened by the loss and our hearts go out to his family. He was so full of life, it’s unbelievable that he’s gone. Nothing like this has happened in the history of the borough. We are deeply shaken by this. “
The suspect in Heller’s murder, Gary Curtis, a former PSE&G employee, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his vehicle in the town of Bridgewater hours after the murder, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities have not identified a clear motive at this time.
Republican Councilman Russell Heller was shot and killed in his car in New Jersey. It was exactly one week after Republican Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour was gunned down in her car miles away.
— Kambree (@KamVTV) February 9, 2023
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Coincidence or connection?
Heller’s killing comes less than a week after the Feb. 1 shooting of Sayreville Borough Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, who was found murdered near her home.
According to a report by Fox News Digital, Dwmfor’s neighbors heard “between six and nine gunshots” before hearing Dwmfor’s vehicle “slam into a row of parked cars.”
Footage from that night obtained by News 12 New Jersey shows someone fleeing the scene shortly after the murder.
When asked for further updates by Fox News Digital, the county’s public information officer said, “We currently have no updates and no comment at this time.”
Sayreville Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick said in a statement following the announcement of Dwumbur’s death that she was “a dedicated member of our Borough Council who was truly committed to serving all of our residents.”
He described the killing as a “heinous act”.
According to NBC News, authorities in both jurisdictions have made no connection between the deaths of the two Republicans. As for Russell Heller’s death, Milford prosecutors said his murder appears to be an “isolated incident.”
Two Republican councilmen in New Jersey have been murdered in the past week and I haven’t seen a peep about it from the Democrats or the MSM. pic.twitter.com/MEvXQ2kYdN
– CTM (@no_quarter_1776) February 9, 2023
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