by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News February 10, 2023

Milford, New Jersey municipal council member Russell Heller, a Republican, was shot dead in his car on Wednesday, exactly a week after the slaying of Sayersville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour. Dwumfour, a Republican, was also found shot dead in her car.

Milford and Sayersville are 15 miles apart.

Heller, 51, was found dead just after 7 a.m. in the Somerset parking lot of PSE&G, the local energy company where he worked.

Police quickly identified a former PSE&G employee, Gary Curtis, 58, as a suspect — and found him dead in his car from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot around three and a half hours after the slaying.

New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr., whose district includes the Milford area, said he was “shocked and saddened by the tragic murder” of his fellow Republican.

“Russell was an outstanding public servant who proudly represented the river town he loved,” Kean tweeted.

Milford Mayor Henri Schepens told NJ.com that “the Milford Borough Council is deeply saddened by the loss and our hearts go out to his family.” Heller “was so full of life, it’s just unbelievable that he’s gone.”

The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office insisted that Heller’s murder appeared to be “an isolated incident” and was not related to his elected office or political affiliation.

“The investigation remains ongoing to determine motive,” the prosecutor’s office said, while stressing that “Heller was the intended target.”

On Feb. 1, Dwumfour was shot and killed outside her home in what was described by police as a targeted attack. Her murder remains unsolved.

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  Second New Jersey Republican murdered; shootings 15 miles apart, WorldTribune.com