John Daniels Jr., a New Jersey resident, is facing charges after allegedly murdering his stepmother with a baseball bat on Wednesday evening. The incident occurred in their family home located in an affluent gated community. The victim, 48-year-old Irma Daniels, was found dead by Cresskill Police, who responded to a call around 6:45 p.m. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.
Daniels Jr. was not present at the scene when the police arrived. However, by the following day, authorities had him in custody, as reported by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. The suspect was apprehended and charged with first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and providing false information to investigators, among other charges.
Following his arrest, a pretrial detention motion was filed by the prosecutors. Consequently, a judge ordered Daniels Jr. to be held without bail until a hearing scheduled for the following week. During his initial court appearance, Daniels Jr., who appeared visibly shaken, responded to the judge’s inquiries with either an affirmative or negative acknowledgment.
According to a LinkedIn profile associated with Daniels Jr., he is an investment banker with a master’s degree in business from Boston College and an undergraduate degree from Seton Hall University. However, a statement from the authorities contradicts this, stating that he is currently unemployed and single.
Irma Daniels, the victim, was a realtor originally from Russia. Her profile on the Sotheby’s website reveals that she held a doctorate from the Finance Academy in Moscow and an MBA in marketing. She moved to the U.S. and married John Daniels Sr., a lawyer. Just days before her tragic death, she had shared a video of the Caucasian Mountains on Facebook, expressing her pride in her roots.
Daniels Jr. is expected to appear in court again on Wednesday at 9 a.m.