Prosecutors say the defendant faces 26 years in state prison for killing 35-year-old Eren Kurkcu.
Long Branch, NJ – Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced that a 22-year-old Long Branch man has pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter in connection with the fatal stabbing of another man nearly a year ago.
Key Points
- Nija Faust, 22, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter for the killing of Eren Kurkcu in March 2025.
- Kurkcu, 35, died after being stabbed multiple times near the 200 block of Broadway in Long Branch.
- Prosecutors plan to seek a 26-year prison sentence under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act.
Fatal stabbing on Broadway
Authorities said that on March 7, 2025, at approximately 11:33 p.m., Long Branch police responded to reports of a stabbing near the 200 block of Broadway. Officers arrived to find Eren Kurkcu, 35, suffering from multiple stab wounds.
Kurkcu was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries the following morning.
An investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and the Long Branch Police Department identified Nija Faust as the attacker. Faust was later arrested and charged with homicide.
Additional charges and sentencing
Investigators also charged Santana Rivera-Cosme, 21, in connection with the incident. Rivera-Cosme has since pleaded guilty to second-degree aggravated assault and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 17.
Faust entered his plea Monday before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley. Sentencing is set for June 12, when prosecutors are expected to seek a 26-year prison term. Under the No Early Release Act, Faust would be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutors Caitlin J. Sidley and Jamie Fitzgerald. Faust is represented by Daniel J. Holzapfel, Esq., and Rivera-Cosme by Melissa Barbier, Esq.
Tags: long branch, homicide, monmouth county
