A man in New Jersey has been arrested and charged with stabbing both of his parents to death inside the family’s home.
New Jersey State Police troopers responded to a residence at Tipton Drive in Hopewell for a wellness check around 7:30 am Tuesday14, and found Brenda L. Williams and Billy C. Williams Jr., both in their 60s, dead from apparent stab wounds, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office.
Their son, 34-year-old Craig Williams, was later arrested and charged with two counts each of first-degree murder, second-degree desecration of human remains, and two counts of third and fourth-degree weapons possession charges.
He was additionally charged with obstruction, hindering apprehension, and tampering with evidence.
Williams and his parents appeared to have lived together at the same home, NJ.com reported.
According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by the outlet, a relative of the parents requested a well-being check at the home after neither responded to multiple calls over the weekend and Billy Williams did not show up to work on Monday morning, March 13.
When troopers arrived at their home, Craig Williams answered the door but said that his parents were not home and refused to let them inside, according to the affidavit.
The troopers persisted and he finally let them inside. Williams led them to his parent’s bedroom where they found the deceased victims, the document said.
Williams, who had blood stains on his clothing, told the troopers that his parents had been inside for two days.
Several knives and an axe were seized by police as evidence, the affidavit says.
Troopers had responded to 20 separate incidents at the home in just the last two years, including domestic violence, harassment, assaults, and verbal arguments, investigators learned.
“All incidents involved Craig Williams, who was arrested numerous times for assaulting both decedents,” State Police Investigator J.P. McKay wrote in the affidavit.
Craig Williams was booked at the Cumberland County Jail, records show. Prosecutors plan to request he remain behind bars until his trial, officials told NJ.com.