New Jersey

Woman Killed at Ex-Senator's New Jersey Estate, Suspect in Custody

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A suspect remains in custody in Pennsylvania after a woman was stabbed to death in a home on a New Jersey estate that belongs to former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli.

According to court documents, Brandon Petersen, 31, and Michele Carkhuff, 38, on Sunday were preparing stew in one of the homes on the property when Petersen grabbed a knife and stabbed Carkhuff in the neck.

Friends drove Carkhuff to a hospital, where she died.

Petersen stole a truck registered to Torricelli's lobbying firm, according to authorities. He was arrested on Monday in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania, where he faces extradition.

It is not known whether Torricelli was home at the time of the incident.

Torricelli did not respond to a request to his office for comment from the Bridgewater Courier News.

The Democrat served in the Senate from 1997 to 2003. He withdrew from his 2002 reelection following an ethics complaint.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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