By: Richard L. Smith
According to a statement released by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, a Brooklyn resident has been sentenced to 50 years in state prison for the 2023 murder of a Franklin Township man during a robbery that turned deadly.
On Thursday, Daniel Matthews, 45, appeared before Superior Court Judge Angela F. Borkowski, who ordered that he serve the sentence under the No Early Release Act, meaning Matthews must complete 85 percent of his term—approximately 42.5 years—before becoming eligible for parole.
Matthews was convicted by a Somerset County jury in March 2025 after a two-week trial on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, stemming from the death of 46-year-old Artis Timothy Young.
Prosecutors said the killing took place on December 29, 2023, at Matthews’ family home in Franklin Township, during a robbery involving a large quantity of marijuana.
The case began when Franklin Township Police received a missing person report for Young on December 30, 2023. Investigators quickly learned that Young had arranged to meet with Matthews the previous day. Tragically, Young’s body was found in Brooklyn just hours after he was reported missing.
An autopsy by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death was ligature strangulation.
Authorities linked Matthews and co-conspirator Andrew Mumby to the crime. Evidence showed the two men transported Young’s body in the trunk of his own car to Brooklyn, where it was abandoned.
Surveillance footage captured Matthews using cleaning supplies and moving the victim’s vehicle, while cellphone records placed him at the murder scene, the disposal site, and where the car was later found.
Forensic testing uncovered the victim’s blood and DNA in the trunk of the car, inside the garage where the attack occurred, and on the clothing Matthews wore the night of the crime.
Matthews' own DNA was also detected on the blood-stained clothing. A witness testified that the murder happened during a robbery attempt involving marijuana.
In addition to first-degree murder, Matthews was convicted of first-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy to disturb human remains, second-degree disturbing human remains, and two counts of third-degree hindering apprehension. 
His sentences for the additional convictions will run concurrently with the 50-year prison term.
Andrew Mumby, Matthews' accomplice, previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the killing and is awaiting sentencing.