Slain New Jersey College Student Was Killed by Stranger: Prosecutors

The 22-year-old from Tennessee who attended Kean University was found dead in the backyard of a New Brunswick home

Prosecutors have arrested a suspect in the death of a college student found dead in the backyard of a New Jersey home last month, and authorities don't believe the victim knew his attacker.

Middlesex County prosecutors said Timothy Puskas, 38, is being charged with murder for the death of William McCaw, a 22-year-old Kean University student who was found Feb. 15 outside a New Brunswick home.

He died of blunt force trauma, authorities said.

Prosecutors did not elaborate on what allegedly happened between Puskas and McCaw, but a spokesman said the preliminary investigation indicated they did not know each other. 

Investigators believe McCaw was killed between the hours of 3 a.m. and 9 a.m. that day, after he attended a fraternity party.

Authorities did not have information about a lawyer for Puskas.

McCaw had no connection to the people who lived in the home, and it is not clear where he was attacked. McCaw, originally from Gallatin, Tenn., previously attended Rutgers University and would return to New Brunswick occasionally to visit friends.

Contact Us