On Wednesday, a member of a Municipal Council in New Jersey was tragically killed while in his car, seven days after Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour lost her life in an unsolved shooting.
The body of Russell Heller, the 51-year-old Milford Republican, was discovered in the parking lot of PSE&G, the local energy firm where he was employed, early in the morning.
Police were able to identify Gary Curtis, 58, who had previously worked there, as the suspect. Curtis was located dead in his car with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Seven days before the councilman's death, Republican Councilwoman Dwumfour was shot and killed while sitting in her SUV near her residence, a mere 15 miles away. Up to this point, her murder is still unsolved.
The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office has made it clear that there is no evident connection between the crimes, and that the murder of Heller appears to be a one-off event.
The prosecutor's office has stated that the investigation is still in progress to uncover the motive, and they have reiterated that Heller was the intended target.
Governor Phil Murphy offered his sympathies to the family and friends of the victim of gun violence.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), who represents the region, expressed his shock and grief over the untimely death of his GOP colleague. Russell was an outstanding public servant who proudly represented the river town he loved, Kean tweeted.
The Mayor of Milford, Henri Schepens, expressed his deep condolences to the family of Russel Heller in a statement to NJ.com. He continued to say, Something like this has never happened in borough history. We are very shaken by this.
Heller was elected to serve on the Milford Borough Council in 2020, as reported by the Franklin Reporter & Advocate.
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