Keansburg man indicted on murder charge in Seaside Heights death
OCEAN COUNTY, NJ – A grand jury has indicted a Keansburg man on a murder charge after a young woman was brought to a local hospital with severe injuries and never regained consciousness, authorities said Wednesday.
Emiliano Davila, 41, was indicted in connection with the death of Mary O’Connor, 32, of Seaside Heights, following a months-long investigation into the events that led to her fatal injuries. O’Connor was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River on a November night after suffering blunt force trauma to the head and signs consistent with strangulation.
Hospital staff reported that O’Connor had been dropped off by two men who left shortly afterward. She was found unresponsive with a brain bleed and visible bruising. Investigators later determined Davila was one of the individuals who brought her to the hospital.
Detectives learned that O’Connor and Davila were in a dating relationship and that she had been staying at a motel in Seaside Heights. The investigation found that O’Connor was assaulted the night before she was taken to the hospital.
Davila was arrested later that same day and initially charged with domestic violence aggravated assault by strangulation. He was lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending trial.
O’Connor died two days later as a result of her injuries. A post-mortem examination determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head resulting in a subdural hematoma, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. The charge against Davila was subsequently upgraded to murder, and he was served with the new charge while in custody.
Davila remains detained at the Ocean County Jail as the case proceeds through the court system.
Key Points
- A Keansburg man was indicted on a murder charge by an Ocean County grand jury
- The victim died after being dropped off at a hospital with severe head injuries
- The defendant remains in custody pending trial