By: Najla Alexnder
Authorities in Ocean County announced that on June 5, Michael Mulgrew, 37, of Barnegat, was sentenced by the Honorable Guy P. Ryan, P.J.Cr.P., to 30 years New Jersey State Prison - with 30 years of parole ineligibility - relative to each of his previously entered guilty pleas to two counts of Murder in connection with the deaths of his parents, Eugene Mulgrew, 71, and Cheryl Mulgrew, 69, also of Barnegat. 
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer stated that the murders occurred in Barnegat Township on November 2, 2023. The sentences will run concurrently.
Mulgrew pled guilty to both charges before Judge Ryan on March 11, 2026, OCPO officials say.
According to Ocean County officials, on November 2, 2023, at approximately 11:00 a.m., Officers from the Barnegat Township Police Department were summoned to a residence on Lincoln Avenue to assist medical personnel with a mobile outreach.
As the Officers approached the residence, they observed a male walking away, OCPO officials stated. Upon their arrival, Officers noticed red staining on the front door of the residence that appeared to be blood.
The Officers made entry and found blood in various areas of the home. As the Officers entered the bedroom, they located the deceased bodies of two victims with apparent stab wounds to their upper torsos, according to Ocean County officials.
OCPO officials said the victims were later identified as Eugene and Cheryl Mulgrew. The Officers also observed a knife in the vicinity of the bedroom.
The male initially observed walking away from the residence was located by Barnegat Township Police Officers in the area of West Bay Boulevard and Gunning River Road. That individual, later identified as Michael Mulgrew, was taken into custody without incident, OCPO authorities say.
Ocean County officials stated that an investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Barnegat Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit revealed that Michael Mulgrew was responsible for the murders of his parents.
Mulgrew was charged accordingly and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he has been lodged since November 2, 2023, Ocean County officials said.