A man has pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing his parents at their home along the New Jersey shore, where their bodies were found in a bedroom, according to prosecutors.
Michael Mulgrew, of Barnegat, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, March 11, to two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of Eugene Mulgrew and Cheryl Mulgrew, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release issued the same day.
Prosecutors will ask the court to sentence Michael, 37, to two consecutive 30-year terms in prison at his sentencing, which is set for June 5, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Information on whether Michael had an attorney who could comment on his behalf was not immediately available.
The case dates back to November 2, 2023, when Barnegat Township police were called to a home in Barnegat, where they found Michael “walking away.”
At the home, officers saw what appeared to be blood stains on the front door, according to prosecutors. After they went inside, they found more blood.
Michael later told investigators that he stabbed Eugene, 71, and Cheryl, 69, at their home, then dragged them into a bedroom, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by NJ.com. He also said he packed a bag and left following the killings.
Michael ultimately admitted to killing them after an argument related to house chores between him and his parents unfolded, the affidavit says, according to the outlet.
Eugene and Cheryl were found with fatal stab wounds “to their upper torsos,” prosecutors said.
A knife was also found near the bedroom where they were discovered dead, according to prosecutors.
A day earlier, Cheryl had sought a psychiatric evaluation for her son and called police, reporting that he was struggling with his mental health, according to court documents viewed by the Daily Voice.
Michael told police that he feared his family would cause him harm and went into a “schizophrenic state” as a result, court documents say, according to the outlet.
He also shared that he has a history of drug use and once experienced drug-related psychosis in Vietnam in 2018, according to court documents obtained by the outlet.
During Michael’s plea hearing, a judge asked whether Michael wanted to pursue an insanity defense, according to Jersey Shore Online.
Michael ultimately waived his right to pursue such a defense, the outlet reported.
Michael has been detained in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest on November 2, 2023, according to prosecutors.
