By: Richard L. Smith
A Georgia man is in custody after authorities say a woman was found dead inside a vehicle parked behind a Franklin Township hotel early Saturday morning.
According to information released by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, Keith Demery, 54, of Ellenwood, Georgia, has been charged with first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in connection with the incident.
Prosecutor John P. McDonald said Franklin Township police were called to a hotel on Davidson Avenue around 6:00 a.m. on May 2 after a man identifying himself as Demery requested officers respond to report injuries.
When officers arrived, Demery directed them to a vehicle in a rear parking lot, where police discovered an unresponsive female in the front passenger seat.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Demery was taken into custody at the location and transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
After being released, he was turned over to authorities and taken to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation is being led by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit in coordination with the Franklin Township Police Department, Crime Scene Investigations Unit, and the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
Authorities have not yet identified the victim, pending confirmation by the Medical Examiner, who will also determine the cause and manner of death.
Demery has since been lodged in the Somerset County Jail and is awaiting a detention hearing.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.