David C. Shroitman is charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 30, 2024, stabbing death of Maryrose Fealey outside of her apartment in Somerville, New Jersey, cops say. He allegedly wrote a step-by-step plan to kill her. (Shroitman: Somerset Prosecutor’s Office; Fealey: Obituary)
Prosecutors in New Jersey charged a 27-year-old man with first-degree murder after he fatally stabbed a woman 37 times, following a step-by-step’ plan he wrote in a manifesto, according to authorities.
Somerville police officers responded around 10:20 p.m. on Jan. 30 to a call about an unresponsive female outside an apartment complex on North Bridge Street. The woman, identified as 27-year-old Maryrose Fealey, was suffering from multiple stab wounds. A relative found Fealey with her car door open and some of her belongings all over the front yard. First responders pronounced her dead on the scene.
Investigators with Somerville police and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office obtained a search warrant for David C. Shroitman’s home and vehicle. Prosecutors said in a press release that Shroitman and Fealey knew each other but did not further detail their relationship nor reveal a motive.
Several local media outlets obtained a probable cause arrest affidavit detailing the case. Investigators quickly identified Shroitman as a suspect. Cops went to talk to Shroitman on Friday but he declined to speak with them, the affidavit said. Detectives reportedly noticed a white garbage bag over the front seat of his car along with a black gaiter and duct tape.
Surveillance video showed a man fitting Shroitman’s description and vehicle near Fealey’s home around the time of the homicide, the affidavit said.
During the search of his home, cops allegedly found a manifesto with a “step-by-step plan” to kill Fealey. They also reportedly recovered clothes similar to what was seen in the surveillance video. Some of the clothes were covered in bleach, the affidavit reportedly said. Authorities also allegedly caught him cleaning his car. He doused it in bleach while officers also recovered a bloody latex glove nearby.
Prosecutors charged Shroitman with first-degree murder, possession of a weapon, tampering with physical evidence and hindering apprehension. Cops took Shroitman to the Somerset County Jail where he’s being held pending a detention hearing.
According to her obituary, Fealey grew up in Somerville and graduated in 2018 from the Rutgers Business School.
“Maryrose was many things – a visual artist, anti-drug activist, entrepreneur, champion of the underdog, philanthropist, encourager, writer, and logistician,” the obit said. “Recently, she was enjoying her weekend work at Roman Jewelers in Bridgewater. Friends and family often described Maryrose as a ‘light’ in the room or in their day whenever they spoke of her. Her signature bright smile was unforgettable. She was one to ‘show up’ and to be supportive, bringing positive energy, willingness, and kindness to any task at hand.”
She also founded nonprofits to help youth battling drug addiction.
“Along with her brother Ian and her mom, she worked tirelessly and gratefully to help others and better her community,” the obit said.
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