Indictment: Man Stabbed Girlfriend, Boy to Death; Burned Down House

An Egg Harbor City man has been indicted on five counts alleging he stabbed his girlfriend and her son to death before burning down the house they all lived in together, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.

Joseph F. Palmer, 39, was indicted Wednesday on two counts of murder, one count of aggravated arson, and two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in the murders of Michelle Pabst, 38, and her son Gavin Pabst, 7, McClain said.

Police and firefighters responded to a residence on Washington Avenue in Egg Harbor City just after 8 a.m. on Nov. 12, 2014 for a report of a structure fire.

Palmer was found outside the residence and taken to AtlantiCare for treatment of injuries, McClain said. When the fire was extinguished, authorities found two bodies inside the building, McClain said.

An autopsy the following day revealed both Michelle and Gavin Pabst had been stabbed and murdered prior to the fire being set, McClain said.

Palmer was arrested on Nov. 14 upon his release from the hospital and charged with two counts of murder and aggravated arson.

Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Mark Sandson set bail at $2 million full cash. Palmer faces life in prison if convicted.