Court records reveal suspect allegedly threatened to kill family weeks before fatal shooting, but he was released unsupervised by a North Jersey judge.
Berkeley Township, NJ – Court records show the man who killed three members of a Berkeley Township family before taking his own life earlier this week had recently been charged with violent offenses, including alleged threats to kill the same family. The case, filed less than a month before the shootings, had already been referred to prosecutors as an indictable matter, raising new questions about the timeline leading up to the fatal attack.
Key Points
- Suspect Vaughn Stewart previously charged with terroristic threats and assault in February
- Records indicate he allegedly threatened to “murder her and her family”
- No detention motion was filed, and he was released before the March killings
Authorities said Vaughn Stewart, 37, of Maplewood, carried out the fatal shootings in the early morning hours last Tuesday at a home on Fairwood Drive in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township. Police were dispatched at approximately 5:00 a.m. after receiving reports of gunfire at the residence.
Responding officers reported seeing a man entering the home and then hearing additional gunshots coming from inside. Due to the active and potentially dangerous situation, the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team was called to the scene. After making entry into the residence, officers discovered two victims dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
The victims were later identified as homeowners Allan Russell, 61, and Michelle Russell, 60. Both were pronounced deceased at the scene.
Inside the residence, officers also located Stewart with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was later pronounced dead.
As officers expanded the investigation perimeter outside the home, they discovered a third victim, identified as Deonna Stewart, 38, approximately 50 yards away along Fairwood Drive. Investigators determined she had been shot multiple times after fleeing the residence.
Prior incident detailed in court filings
Court documents reveal that less than a month before the shooting, Stewart had been arrested in Union County following a reported domestic incident. On February 11, Cranford police responded to a 911 call reporting a disturbance at a convenience store on North Avenue.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, officers determined that a female victim had been physically assaulted during the incident. The report states the victim was struck multiple times in the head with a closed fist, had a braid of hair pulled out, and was struck in the neck with a phone.
The affidavit further alleges that during the altercation, Stewart threatened to “murder her and her family.” Sources familiar with the case confirmed the victim in that incident was Deonna Stewart.
Stewart was charged with terroristic threats, harassment, and simple assault. Court records indicate the charges were elevated and transferred to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office as indictable offenses the following day.
Despite the severity of the allegations, records show no motion was filed to detain Stewart pending trial. He was released following the arrest.
Authorities have not publicly stated whether any restraining orders were in place at the time of the shooting or whether additional interventions had been pursued following the February incident.
Sequence of events in the fatal shooting
Investigators said Vaughn Stewart and Deonna Stewart shared three children but had been living separately. Deonna Stewart had been residing at the Fairwood Drive home with her parents and children at the time of the shooting.
According to the investigation, Stewart entered the home and shot Allan and Michelle Russell. He then pursued Deonna Stewart as she fled the residence, chasing her down the street before shooting her multiple times.
After the shooting outside, Stewart returned to the home, where he ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Multiple shell casings were recovered along Fairwood Drive, consistent with investigators’ account of the pursuit and shooting.
Children unharmed amid violent incident
At the time of the attack, three children were inside the home. Authorities confirmed the children were not physically injured during the incident.
Following the shooting, the children were placed in the care of the New Jersey Department of Child Protection and Permanency. Officials have not released additional information about their current status.
The presence of the children during the incident has been noted as part of the broader investigation, though authorities have not indicated whether they witnessed any portion of the violence.
Ongoing investigation across agencies
The investigation into the killings remains active and is being conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, in coordination with the Berkeley Township Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
Officials have not released further details regarding the firearm used, how Stewart traveled to the residence, or whether there were prior reports of incidents at the Berkeley Township home.
Authorities have also not stated whether the February charges directly involved all three victims or were limited to the domestic incident involving Deonna Stewart.
The case continues to draw attention due to the proximity between the February arrest and the March killings, as well as the nature of the alleged threats documented in court filings.