SOMERVILLE, N.J. — A Somerset County jury has convicted a Brooklyn man of first-degree murder and multiple other charges in connection with the 2023 killing of a Franklin Township resident during a robbery involving a large quantity of marijuana, prosecutors said.
After a two-week trial, Daniel Matthews, 45, was found guilty on Monday in the death of 46-year-old Artis Timothy Young. Matthews now faces a potential life sentence, with sentencing scheduled for April 25.
Authorities said Young was last seen on December 29, 2023, when he planned to meet Matthews in Franklin Township. The following day, Young’s family reported him missing. His body was later found in Brooklyn, where an autopsy determined he had been killed by ligature strangulation.
Investigators identified Matthews and Andrew Mumby as suspects, alleging that after the murder, they transported Young’s body in the trunk of his own vehicle before dumping it in Brooklyn. Surveillance footage showed Matthews with the victim’s car in the hours following the crime, often carrying cleaning supplies.
Forensic evidence linked Young’s blood and DNA to the trunk of his car, the garage floor of Matthews’ family home, and a sweatsuit Matthews was seen wearing in the surveillance footage. Matthews’ own DNA was also found on the clothing.
Mumby previously pleaded guilty to participating in the crime. Matthews was convicted of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy to disturb human remains, second-degree disturbing human remains, and two counts of third-degree hindering apprehension.
