Union Man Convicted Of Dismembering Cranford Mom

UNION, NJ — A Union Township man has been sentenced to 70 years in state prison for murdering and dismembering his Cranford girlfriend and then scattering her remains in at least two locations in North Jersey nearly four years ago, acting Union County Prosecutor Thomas K. Isenhour announced.

Matthew Ballister III, 47, must serve at least 85 percent of a 62-year sentence for murder before the possibility of parole, as well as a consecutively applied eight-year sentence for desecration of human remains, under the terms set down Monday by state Superior Court Judge Stuart Peim.

Statements from multiple family members, including Wyckoff’s daughter and younger sister, called Ballister a "monster."

“I’ve been doing this for many, many years. I’ve handled many, many murder cases, all of them brutal, violent murders, but this one was different. It was particularly vile and barbaric,” Peim said. “To systematically butcher and dispose of a human being … reflects no decency or humanity. None.”

“There was zero remorse here,” Union County Assistant Prosecutors Scott Peterson said before sentencing.

Ballister's 74-year-old mother, Eleanor Schofield of Mountainside, remains charged with fourth-degree hindering apprehension for allegedly interfering with the investigation by trying to help him conceal evidence of the crime, according to the report.

A six-week trial that ended in October resulted in convictions on all counts against Ballister in connection with the death of April Wyckoff, 43, of Cranford.

• See Related: Union Man Who Killed, Dismembered Cranford Mom Found Guilty

Wyckoff, who divorced her husband in 2010, graduated from Cranford High School and had recently moved back to town with her 23-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter.

• See Related: Cranford Woman Believed Dead, Union Man Accused of Murder
• See Related: Man Accused of Killing Cranford Mom Faces More Charges

Ballister was arrested and charged with murder on October 24, 2013, two days after Wyckoff had died at his hands, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutors Scott Peterson and Jillian Reyes, who prosecuted the case.

Dozens of sharp- and blunt-force pre-mortem injuries were inflicted on Wyckoff's head and legs before Ballister ran her over with his Hummer in the driveway of his home on the 300 block of Mercer Avenue in Union Township, Union County Medical Examiner Dr. Junaid Shaikh testified at trial.

During the 12 hours that followed, Ballister disposed of Wyckoff's body, abandoned her car in Newark, purchased approximately $75 in cleaning products at the Home Depot in Watchung and returned home to start cleaning, according to Isenhour.

Three days after the arrest, some of Wyckoff's remains were found on Raymond Avenue near the Pulaski Skyway in Newark following an intensive search involving more than 200 municipal, county and state law-enforcement representatives, according to Peterson and Reyes.

Authorities searched through multiple areas in Essex, Hudson and Union counties, however, the rest of her body was never found.

Ballister spent the four years leading up to trial lodged in Union County Jail on $5.5 million bail.

(Image via Union County Prosecutor's Office: Matthew Ballister III, 47, Union Township)

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