NJ Man Arrested in Stabbing Deaths of Mother, Grandfather

There was blood in virtually every room of the home and both victims had multiple stab wounds, according to a law enforcement source

What to Know

  • A woman and her father were found dead in their Springfield home Monday afternoon
  • The woman's 27-year-old son was taken into custody the day after the bodies were found
  • A source familiar with the investigation said there was "blood in every room"

A 27-year-old New Jersey man has been arrested on murder and weapons charges in the stabbing deaths of his mother and grandfather, prosecutors say. 

Police detained James Brown at a restaurant in Springfield Tuesday morning, less than a day after authorities found the bodies of 51-year-old Roth Brown and her 79-year-old father, Thomas Brown.

A source familiar with the investigation said the father and daughter were likely stabbed to death on Friday. Police discovered their bodies while doing a welfare check at their home on Meckes Street in Springfield Monday afternoon.

There was blood in virtually every room of the home, the source said. Both victims had multiple stab wounds. 

The Union County prosecutor's office said Brown was apprehended when two Mountainside Police officers saw him walking along Route 22 near the border of Mountainside and Springfield.

He remains in Union County Jail on $2 million bail. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney. He's expected to appear in court in the next few days. 

Family friends remembered James Brown as a troubled young man.

"There was one incident that my niece witnessed where he kind of threatened the grandmother Roth's mother with a machete," said Chuck Hackley. 

But "he wasn't a disruptive kid," said Hackley. "He'd walk around the neighborhood, walk around quiet, had like a dazed look." 

Hackley was a lifelong friend of Roth, from when they were kids. 

"Apparently she didn't show up for work (Monday morning), so someone reached out with concern," he said. 

Detectives interviewed neighbors and combed a nearby backyard, staying quiet about who or what they were looking for.

"It's just surreal, it's just unbelievable right now," said Hackley. 

Contact Us