Crime & Safety

Man Found Guilty Of Murder In Bound Brook Shooting At Family Home

Ryan D. Keogh and his parents were all charged in connection with the fatal shooting in Bound Brook near the Bound Brook border.

Ryan D. Keogh of Bound Brook.
Ryan D. Keogh of Bound Brook. (Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)

BOUND BROOK, NJ — A Bound Brook man was found guilty of murder in the 2019 fatal shooting at his family's borough home near the Bridgewater border, Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart said. This was in connection with the shooting death of Terrence C. Coulanges, 29, of Old Bridge.

Ryan D. Keogh was found guilty on Tuesday of first-degree murder; second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose; third-degree hindering apprehension or prosecution; third-degree endangering an injured victim; fourth-degree false swearing (4 of 5 counts); fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence; and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a large capacity ammunition magazine, following a six-week jury trial in Somerset County.

He was acquitted of one count of fourth-degree false swearing. Keogh was remanded to the Somerset County Jail where he will be held until sentencing.

Find out what's happening in Bridgewaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Keogh's parents Cindy V. Keogh, 61, and David J. Keogh, 58, of Farm Lane, Bound Brook were also charged in connection with the shooting with making false statements to police, hindering apprehension and endangering an injured victim. They will be having a separate trial. Read More: Son, Parents Charged In Bound Brook Shooting Death

At 7:36 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2019, a 911 call reported shots fired and found a gunshot wound victim at a home on Farm Lane in Bound Brook, authorities said. Read More: Police ID Man Killed In Bound Brook Shooting Following Fight

Find out what's happening in Bridgewaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Bound Brook Police found Coulanges outside the home with gunshot wounds to the right thigh and left chest, said authorities.

Coulanges was taken to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Crime
Scene Investigation Unit, along with detectives from the Bound Brook Police interviewed numerous neighbors who reported hearing what turned out to be gunshots at 5:45 p.m.

An investigation found that Keogh, along with his parents, left the home for a period of time after Coulanges was shot and before a 911 call was placed at 7:36 p.m. - 1 hour and 51 minutes since Keogh shot Coulanges.

A Medical Examiner found the cause of death of Coulanges to be gunshot wounds and homicide to be the manner of death.

Keogh was arrested on Feb. 14, 2019.

On the murder charge, Keogh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 75 years imprisonment with 85 percent of the term to be served without parole under the No Early Release Act.

On the charge of possession of firearm for an unlawful purpose, Keogh faces a prison term of 5 – 10 years with a maximum of 5 years to be served without parole. This charge implicates a Graves Act sentence which has a mandatory imposition of parole ineligibility fixed at one-half the sentence imposed by the Court, or 42 months, whichever is greater.

On the hindering one’s own apprehension or prosecution charge, Keogh faces a prison term of 3 – 5 years with up to half the term without parole.

On the charge of endangering an injured victim, Keogh faces a term of 3 – 5 years in prison with up to half the term without parole. The service of the sentence for endangering an injured victim must, under New Jersey Statutes, be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the murder, the crime that rendered Coulanges physically helpless.

For each of the fourth-degree false swearing counts, Keogh faces a maximum of 18 months in state prison. For the fourth-degree unlawful possession of a large capacity ammunition magazine charge, Keogh faces a maximum of 18 months in state prison.

Sentencing will be imposted on June 10, 2022.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.