Woman Found Buried In Long Branch Backyard Was Strangled: Prosecutor's Office

The discovery of Tyrita R. Julius' body buried in a Long Branch backyard was a sad end to the five-month search for the missing woman, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said at a recent press conference.
And today he disclosed that the 41-year-old woman died of ligature strangulation and ruled her death a homicide, according to the Monmouth County Medical Examiner's Office.

Her body was found wrapped in a tarp and buried three feet underground in the backyard of Andre Harris' home in the 200 block of Joline Avenue Tuesday, he said.

"This is not the way we wanted it to end," Gramiccioni told the victim's family members, who attended the press conference. "I'm sorry. We wanted to find her. May she rest in peace."

Charged with her murder are Andre Harris, 32, and Jennifer Sweeney, 32, of Tinton Falls. Both were charged with first degree murder, desecration of human remains and tampering with evidence, he said.

Their bails were set at $1.5 million each, with no 10 percent option. They were taken to the Monmouth County Jail in Freehold.

The discovery of Julius' body came after an intensive investigation by law enforcement personnel from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Linden Police Department, Tinton Falls Police Department, Long Branch Police Department and New Jersey Transit Police.

The search for the missing woman began after her mother, Queen Julius, called Linden police to report her daughter was missing on March 8. She told police her daughter was spending time with a female friend from Tinton Falls that day but never came home. Calls and texts went unanswered, authorities said.
Image: Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office