Ocean Township Man Accused Of Killing Wife With Barbell Was Having An Affair

OCEAN TOWNSHIP, NJ — A Monmouth County man accused of killing his wife of nearly 40 years felt "a long-simmering hatred" for her and had recently become romantically involved with a woman in Central America, according to new details the Monmouth County Prosecutor released Friday.

Michael A. Kless, 67, is charged with first-degree murder for the death of his wife, Stacy Epstein Kless, 66. The prosecutor says he killed her Wednesday morning in their home's basement, by strangulation with a barbell.

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The couple has two adult children who do not live in the home with them.

Ocean Twp. Police received a call shortly after 9:30 a.m. Wednesday reporting a possible murder had occurred in the Kless' home, on the 100 block of Seward Drive in Ocean Township.

"The individual reported that ... Michael A. Kless had contacted him and reported that he had killed his wife, identified as victim Stacy E. Kless," read the affidavit released by Ocean Twp. Police. "Suspect Kless also advised he intended to kill himself."

At 9:46 a.m., their son also contacted Ocean Township Police and said his father had emailed him and admitted he killed his mother.

Police officers arrived at the Seward Drive home, forced entry inside and found Stacy Kless in the home’s basement with a barbell resting over her neck and throat area. She was pronounced deceased later that morning.

Michael Kless’ vehicle was then tracked headed northbound on the Garden State Parkway. Someone reached Kless by phone, and he told them he was at a rest stop off the Parkway and attempting to overdose on medication.

New Jersey State Police went to that rest stop and took Kless into custody without incident, after what police say was an unsuccessful suicide attempt.

He was in critical condition in a hospital as of Friday morning.

Law enforcement detectives said they found an email from Michael Kless indicating "a long-simmering hatred" for his wife, his involvement in a new intimate relationship with a woman from Central America, and a description of the murder itself (consistent with evidence observed/located at the scene)," read the affidavit.

Investigators also spoke with members of a work crew who had arrived at the home at 9:05 a.m. that day and were met by Kless, who had a scratch and blood on his face. He refused to let the men in and requested the appointment be rescheduled.

Finally, Kless’ children provided investigators with cell phone text messages from their father admitting to killing their mother. The couple have two children, a daughter and a son, and their son was at one time a police officer in Deal.

Kless is charged with first-degree murder, fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon (the barbell), and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Ocean Twp. mourns a kind, beloved local woman

Stacy Kless is being mourned as a vibrant, kind person who always thought of others. She grew up in this town and had deep roots in the community, as she graduated from Ocean Township High School in 1978.

The couple was very social and counted numerous friends in Ocean, including Mayor John Napolitani, who said he and his wife socialized with the couple. He painted the Klesses as active retirees who enjoyed traveling together and seeing U2 concerts. The Facebook page of Epstein-Kless shows a vibrant woman full of life, surrounded by her husband, children, grandparents and a wide-ranging social network.

"We were blindsided; nobody saw this coming," said Napolitani. "There were no indicators of trouble at all. They were a great couple. They loved each other, at least we thought."

She worked as a substitute teacher in Ocean and Asbury Park public schools, and she had an impact on thousands of children who went through the Ocean Twp. school system, said the mayor.

"She was very involved in the school system. We have people all over the world who are calling us about her death, asking if this could be true. Everyone is just stunned," said Napolitani. "It just shows the impact she had on so many children who are now adults."

She also had a side business as a dog walker, which also made her quite known in town, he said.

"Ocean Twp. is a close town and my wife and I were friends of their's — not in the inner circle, but we were friends who met them through mutual friends. She had a very extended friend group," said the mayor. "They were just great people to be around. I'd be out campaigning and I'd stop at their house and just get caught up sipping tequila and talking and laughing for hours. That's the kind of people they were. My wife and I were trapped in a snowstorm once on 95, and we get home and there's a bottle of wine and flowers on our front porch from Stacy, with a note saying she knew what an ordeal we went through. She was just a good-hearted person like that."

The couple had been married for almost 40 years, according to the Asbury Park Press. Michael Kless worked in computers.

Napolitani asked the community to stop spreading rumors and gossip about the alleged murder. He said the only facts about the case that have been verified as accurate are those released by the Monmouth County Prosecutor.

Anyone with information regarding the murder of Epstein-Kless is asked to contact MCPO Detective Stephen Cavendish at 732-431-7160 ext. 7051 or Ocean Township Police Department Detective Michael Legg at 732-531-1428.

Thursday's report: Man Charged With Wife's Murder In Ocean Township