Ocean County man sentenced to 50 years for murdering wife, dumping body

Posted by
1 min read
September 13, 2024

FREEHOLD, N.J. — An Ocean County man has been sentenced to 50 years in state prison for strangling his wife and abandoning her body on the side of a road in Ocean Township, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago. The sentencing was announced on Friday.

Jeremy B. Cruz, 53, of Forked River, was sentenced on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, for first-degree murder before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley.

Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA), Cruz must serve at least 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Police found his wife’s body dumped along the roadside.

“At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 30, a woman who appeared to have sustained severe injuries was observed by a concerned motorist at the intersection of Asbury and Colonial avenues in the Township of Ocean. Upon responding, Ocean Township Police Department officers located the victim, identified as Dawn Cruz, who was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene,” police reported at the time.

Cruz was convicted of the murder on April 24, 2024, following a trial before Judge O’Malley.

The incident occurred on October 30, 2022, when a motorist discovered the body of 51-year-old Dawn C. Cruz, who had sustained severe injuries, on Colonial Avenue near Asbury Avenue in Ocean Township. Responding officers pronounced her dead at the scene.

Around the same time, Jeremy Cruz surrendered to authorities at the Berkeley Township Police Department in Ocean County. A joint investigation involving the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and multiple law enforcement agencies led to his arrest and subsequent indictment in January 2023.

During the trial, the State successfully countered Cruz’s defense that he had been intoxicated at the time of the killing.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss

Exit mobile version