Princeton soccer star Matthew Hertgen who ‘killed his brother and ate his eyeball’ makes dazed first court appearance
The Princeton soccer star accused of savagely killing his younger brother and eating his eyeball made his first court appearance.
Matthew Hertgen, 31, looked dazed as he sat through his first appearance virtually on Thursday morning at Mercer County Court.
He’s been charged with first-degree murder, various weapons offenses and animal cruelty for killing his 26-year-old brother Joseph Hertgen and setting their family cat on fire on Saturday night.
Matthew, dressed in a blue anti-suicide smock, looked dazed and was speechless throughout the entire 20-minute hearing. His brown hair was disheveled and his bread was long and untamed.
During the hearing, his attorney Jason Matey asked for a week-long delay so he can prepare and review the discovery. Assistant Prosecutor Tim McCann also agreed to this.
Judge Amber Gibbs said the three -day statutory adjournment will adjourn to next week on Thursday, March 6 at 11am.
Matey asked McCann to turn over any additional discovery so he can review before he meets with Matthew on Tuesday ahead of the hearing.
Before the session adjourned, Maddy told his client; ‘Matt I will see you Tuesday, March 4th. You can leave the booth.’
If convicted, he faces 30 years to life behind bars.
Matthew Hertgen, 31, looked dazed as he sat through his first appearance virtually on Thursday morning at Mercer County Court.
He’s been charged with first-degree murder, various weapons offenses and animal cruelty for killing his 26-year-old brother Joseph Hertgen (pictured) and setting their family cat on fire on Saturday night
Police believe he ripped out his younger sibling’s eyeball and ate it, as a bloody knife, plate and fork were discovered near Joseph at the scene, a source told the New York Post.
Princeton Police responded to a 911 call reporting that there was a fire and a dead body within one of the residences inside the Michelle Mews Apartments, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
When officers responded to the scene, they found Matthew, who had called 911, in the residence along with the beaten and cut up body of the victim and a dead cat.
DailyMail.com learned that Matthew – who attended the ritzy private college Wesleyan University – had schizophrenia and was in and out of mental hospitals prior to his brother’s murder.
This is a breaking news story.
